When Sonic Team's Samba de Amigo debuted on the Sega Dreamcast back in 1999, it became an instant favorite. Not only is it a sweet game, but you also played it with exclusive maraca controllers, which still fetch a high price on eBay. However, those looking for a more affordable version of the game won't have to wait long, as Samba will hit the Nintendo Wii later this summer.
Handling development for Samba's port on the Wii is Gearbox Software, the same studio behind Ubisoft's serious-as-a-heart-attack Brothers In Arms games. It seems like an awkward choice. However, Gearbox looks like it's up to the task.
In Samba, you dance along to the beat of several songs while an on-screen monkey and his friends frenetically jump around. The playfield is made up of six circles, two high, two middle and two low. Your job is to shake the maracas in time with gems that fly through the circles, so that you keep up with the rhythm of the song. It sounds easy at first, but once you start getting into the faster songs, it becomes really challenging. On occasion, the game will require you to hold a certain position with the maracas, such as over your head or off to the side. Doing so adds to your overall grade, and that much closer to a perfect rating.
Time to shake your groove thing yet again with Samba.
For the most part, the game looks just as sweet as its Dreamcast counterpart. Amigo the monkey animates just as wildly as he did back in that version, along with all his lively party friends. The backdrops are bright and colorful, from the streets of a party city to the inner workings of a concert hall. Gearbox did add something new, though. You can actually incorporate one of your Miis in the action, watching their reaction on the corner of the screen. They'll either hold a expressionless face (if you're doing okay), a sad face (if you're performing poorly) or a happy face (you're rocking the place).
As you might guess, Samba de Amigo won't come with maraca controllers like the Dreamcast version. This may be a disappointment to those of you who prefer an authentic experience, but don't feel so bad. The Wii remote and nunchuk (or two remotes) replace that peripheral with decent results. In addition, The game fully supports two player versus action, so you can go maraca mad with a friend.
In spite of the game's progress, there are still some questions that have yet to be answered. For instance, will the game include the additional modes that were found in the original and 2000 version, such as Survival Mode and the Party Mini-Games? Furthermore, Sega has yet to release the song list. We're guessing that the game will include several songs from the original, including Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping" remix and a version of Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca". Lastly, it's not looking very likely that the game will have downloadable songs like the Dreamcast version did, although Gearbox has yet to confirm that.
Even with the lack of information, it's good to have Samba back. Samba de Amigo continues to be a rollicking party game on the Dreamcast and now Wii owners will finally get a turn, just in time for an end-of-summer celebration. Be sure to check back for more information soon.
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