Samba de Amigo
 Stumble it!
|
When Samba de Amigo first hit shelves way back in 2000 on the Sega Dreamcast, it brought a new dimension to what was fast becoming a dull genre in rhythm games. Now it’s back on the Nintendo Wii.
Due to the game’s colorful cartoon style graphics, the basic appearance of the overall game package is not hugely different from the original Dreamcast version of the game, but needless to say today’s console offer the developers, Gearbox Studios, far more in terms of possibilities. Sadly they appear to have decided against taking advantage of the additional power available to them with Samba de Amigo for the Wii.
As you would expect with a game of this type, you will be able to get hold of various peripherals to help you with the gameplay side of things - most notably a set of Maracas which is ultimately the one thing the entire game is based around. Who would of thought an entire game would be based around shaking Maracas about? Not me that’s for sure.
Despite that, lovers of the popular dancing rhythm games and newer rhythm titles like Rock Band and Guitar Hero will see Samba de Amigo as something a bit different which does not sway off-course from the rhythm gaming experience they love, and will find themselves tempted to pluck the game, in a bundle or otherwise, from the shelves.
The aim of the game is to shake your Maracas in the correct place, and at the correct time as shown on-screen. Where and when you need to shake your Maracas is indicated by a hexagon of colored circles, representing top, side and bottom on both your left and right sides. A ball will shoot from the centre of the hexagon into the colored circles around the edge - requiring you to shake that Maraca in that position when the ball hits the center of the circle. Sounds easy, right? Wrong.
The controls of the game can be frustrating at the best of times, as you need to be so precise to score top marks each time leaving casual gamers who just want to play for fun quite annoyed when the slightest deviation from the correct Maraca position leaves them missing the hit altogether. These imprecise controls become especially annoying during the more difficult songs towards the latter stages of the game, as you are asked to shake in all sorts of directions in quick-succession - you will miss more hits than you nail, however good you may be.
The basic songs you start out with will be fine, though, and you will find most of the more complicated songs can be unlocked in the early stages of the game leaving you plenty of choice without having to attempt the hardest songs to unlock others.
The backgrounds in the game, although fantastically detailed and very colorful, are perhaps too saturated in terms of color and your rhythm timing circles can at times get lost within them making things more difficult than they need to be. What the developers could have done to avoid this is difficult to imagine, though, as toning the colors down would leave the game bland and ultimately pointless in my personal opinion.
When you get fed up of playing alone you have a range of modes and mini-games to have a go at. The most fun is probably the simple head-to-head with a friend mode, as standing next to them as them shake their Maracas at you can be quite amusing if nothing else. Another interesting mode is a volleyball mini-game where instead of Maracas you will control hands, but the appeal is again short lived.
If you are looking for a game to play with friends for a quick laugh or at some kind of party where everyone can have a go, Samba de Amigo could be a good investment. If you want something you will play on a regular basis and enjoy time and time again, you should probably look elsewhere. The expense of the game and peripherals that give the game added enjoyability is a touch too much in my opinion, as the game has no real depth and you will soon bore of it - unless you have no friends.
Link this post from your MySpace profile, LiveJournal, Facebook, blog, or a website.
this page from your website, blog, or profile.
