Throughout the game, players use the stylus to play through several rhythm-based levels known as Rhythm Games, each with their own specific rules.

Unlike its predecessor which is played using the GBA's buttons, Rhythm Heaven is played using the touch screen with the DS held vertically, similarly to a book. The game was released in Japan on July 31, 2008, in North America on April 5, 2009, in Europe on May 1, 2009, and in Australia on June 4, 2009. It is the second game in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series and the first one released worldwide, following the Japan-only Game Boy Advance title Rhythm Tengoku, and was succeeded by Rhythm Heaven Fever for the Wii and Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the Nintendo 3DS. Rhythm Heaven, known as Rhythm Paradise in Europe and Rhythm World in Korea, is a Japanese rhythm video game developed by Nintendo SPD for the Nintendo DS.