Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure is a fantastic game, and I say this as someone who generally dislikes rhythm games.

More than anything else, Rhythm Thief feels like a Professor Layton game with rhythm games instead of puzzles. You will encounter occasional puzzles, but they’re mild and usually based on audio cues.

You move from screen to screen to traverse Paris, interact with NPCs around the city, and tap the screen to search for secrets.

While a Layton game rewards your tapping with hint coins, you’ll find a variety of things in Rhythm Thief.

Medals, the most common, can be used to buy movies, items to make a rhythm game easier (or harder), and more. Sometimes you’ll find Phantom Note pieces, collectibles for a side quest. You can also find Sound Disks, which add music tracks to your gallery.

Finally, you’ll find sounds you can record. Some are required to advance the story, while others are part of a side quest.

As you’ve probably guessed, music themes are prevalent throughout Rhythm Thief, both in its gameplay and story. Its excellent soundtrack makes this enjoyable.

Now, the main reason I enjoy Rhythm Thief more than other rhythm/music games is that it’s story driven. And much like a Professor Layton game, its story becomes completely insane.

You play Raphael, whose father vanished three years ago, leaving behind a coin marked with a mysterious symbol. Raphael adopts a secret identity as “Phantom R,” a thief, and hunts for clues about his father’s whereabouts. His search leads him to a girl named Marie, whose violin bears the same symbol.

But Marie is pursued by Napoleon, who has risen from the dead to reclaim his throne with the help of an ancient treasure Marie is the key to finding.

Yes, we have a musically-inclined thief facing off against an undead Napoleon (and his “Chevaliers Diabolique”) while searching for ancient treasure. It’s crazy and awesome!

The story and characters kept me invested in Rhythm Thief. The overall gameplay is enjoyable (more so if you like rhythm games), although the few rhythm games that use the gyroscope are frustrating and the Phantom Notes seem to adjust positions in a way that was probably meant to be helpful but ended up annoying.

There’s only one other thing I can criticize about Rhythm Thief. While the main story is wrapped up, it ends with a clear cliffhanger and sequel hook… for a sequel that never came.

In 2012, the producer expressed interest in making a sequel. Four years later, it still hasn’t happened.

That’s too bad, because it sets the stage nicely for an epic sequel. Maybe someday? Nevertheless, I recommend Rhythm Thief without reservations, even if you aren’t a big fan of rhythm games.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure may be difficult to find physically, but digital copies are available from the Nintendo eShop.

(There was a mobile port called Rhythm Thief & the Paris Caper, but it was discontinued.)

I hope we see a Rhythm Thief 2 someday. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on or questions about the game in the comments.

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Buy Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure from the Nintendo eShop
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