Name: Samba de Amigo
Genre: Rhythm
Platform: Nintendo Wii

Samba de Amigo is actually a remake of an early cult classic among Dreamcast fans. Created by Sega and shipped with maraca controllers, the original game was fairly popular in its day, and it seems like a natural fit to bump up the graphics, throw in motion sensitive functionality, and jump in the line of Wii ports. The game is one fitting of revitalization, and it’s easy to see why it’s deserving of a Wii edition. If anything, it’s less gimmicky than the original. Plenty of new features were added for this edition, like Mii support, improved graphics, downloadable content, and an expanded single player campaign, as well as over twenty new songs. The question that remains, is all of this enough to justify making Amigo a purchase?

Going in, I expected a train wreck of controls similar to other music games on the Nintendo Wii. I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only were they simple, but fairly accurate. It wasn’t long before I was getting 98-100% clears on some of the tracks on the easiest setting, while climbing up the medium bracket. There are six areas to shake towards as well as different modifiers that will have you dancing and posing. At times, certain motions aren’t registered appropriately and accuracy tends to slip as the game becomes more difficult. However, since this game isn't likely to attract the most hardcore of gamers, their target market is well served.

The core of Samba de Amigo is in its musical selection, which is actually quite diverse. You will find yourself performing some of the most obnoxious and annoying songs of the past twenty years, from the Macarena to Ricky Martin’s Livin La Vida Loca. Peppered throughout the unbearable songs are gems that stand out, like Carlos Santana’s Smooth and Harry Bellefonte’s Jump in the Line. It doesn’t have as many good songs as any of the recent Guitar Hero or Rock Band titles, but its selection of Latin beats and remixed and rerecorded alternative tracks should get you through the game at least once. It’s not trying to compete with the other rhythm games on the market. Sega and Gearbox know better than that. But in terms of the casual gamer, Samba de Amigo is an experience worth investing time in.

The songs can be unlocked via a career mode and there are a plethora of multiplayer modes to justify taking out a second set of controllers, but the game just isn’t good enough to justify a purchase. The minigames, although plentiful, are archaic and reminiscent of early games on the Wii, and the lack of online multiplayer drops the replay value a bit. There’s just enough content to serve a boring afternoon or lazy weekend, and the game could be a hit at a party full of non-gamers, but in the current climate where music games are king, Sambe de Amigo isn’t worth more than a rental.

 



 

 

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