When you hear the name Game Freak, what is the first thing you instantly think of? That would of course be Pokemon, long-running and yet still beloved franchise. It is not often that Game Freak steps away from Pokemon and tries to do something completely original. The last time this happened was with 2005's Drill Dozer, for the Game Boy Advance (in Japan and North America). Their newest effort, Rhythm Hunter: HarmoKnight for the 3DS’ eShop service, pulls the famed developer in a completely new direction: not only away from their safe RPG genre, but also distinctively different from other action titles they have done in the past. The result is something well worth exploring.

The demo opens with comic book style cutscenes, which immediately grab the attention and are definitely fun to watch. The aesthetic seamlessly carries over to the gameplay and it makes the game a joy to behold. 

Rhythm Hunter really eases you in and gives you the chance to learn the standard moves of the protagonist. The action in this demo is driven by two buttons: the A-button for attacks and the B-button for jumping. During the musical stages, many parts of environment can be attacked and will add an extra beat to the music. From magic eggs to restore health to plants that have instruments attached to them. The regular beats of the music fall under the enemies, which you will have to hit with pinpoint accuracy. This is easier said than done and in the beginning, it will take you a minute to get used to. If you get the hang of it, you will be rewarded with notes that determine your final score. These notes are also spread around the course and should be collected by jumping on the right moments. The notes form an additional layer of the music and therefore are important to collect if you want to hear the song properly.

The demo concluded with an exciting boss battle, which utilizes the same control method as before, but this time you have to memorize patterns before performing them. I found it the easiest part of the experience, though I fear the later parts in the game will be far more difficult. Unfortunately the demo wasn't very long, so I feel I have barely scratched the surface of the title, but what I have played of it felt fulfilling.

The music in the demo has been very pleasant so far, with a lot of cheery tunes that will put you in the right mood. Every world in the game will have its own style of music, so of course there is so still a lot to ponder about. One special example used during this adventure was the Pokemon battle music, a nice little cameo for Game Freak and Pokemon fans alike. 

Rhythm Hunter: HarmoKnight will be released in full on the Nintendo eShop in Japan next week and will set you back 1,800 yen. The price makes it the most expensive eShop (non-retail) title to date, so that will certainly raise a few eyebrows. However, this is Game Freak we are talking about and I don't expect them to only half deliver on their products. I am going to buckle and prepare the money, because everything about the title interests me to no end. This might be the first time in history where I buy a game regardless of price and the demo is all to thank for that. I just hope my feelings are correct and that this will be one of the best downloadable titles out there.