Are you ready to dance, dance, dance to the beat? Then Samba de Amigo: Party Central is ready to bring the groove. Check our Samba de Amigo: Party Central review!
Are you ready to dance, dance, dance to the beat? Then Samba de Amigo: Party Central is ready to bring the groove. For this Nintendo Switch release, you’ll be making good use of the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and its motion control capabilities as you shake them around as if they were maracas. Yes, you read that right. I said maracas. This is a game you can play on your own or with someone else for some local multiplayer, or you can take things online where up to eight individuals take on the music.
For those of you new to Samba de Amigo, it’s a long-running Sega franchise that got its start way back in 1999 as an arcade release. It was later followed by a port to Sega’s Dreamcast home console the following year. The arcade game used a pair of physical maraca controllers to shake along to the beat as you shake them in one of six different positions, as you time your shakes to catch the small spheres that move from the center of the screen. Every now and then, you’re also asked to strike a pose!
The game was later followed with a Nintendo Wii version in 2008 that made good use of the Nintendo Wiimote and its motion control capabilities, with third-party vendors focusing on giving us maraca-style shells to put in said Nintendo Wiimote controllers to try and replicate the “shake the maracas!” feeling of the arcade original and its Dreamcast port. Yes, I do own the Nintendo Wii versions of Samba de Amigo. And yes, I did end up getting a pair of maraca-style shells for the Nintendo Wiimote for some extra immersion.
It’s now 2023, and we’re getting a new game in the series, thanks to Samba de Amigo: Party Central. You’ll be shaking the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con to the beat as you try to earn the best score possible to show everyone how good you are! Along with taking on the classic experience, there’s also the new StreamiGo! Mode, which is certainly a very 2023 thing for a game like Samba de Amigo.
In StreamiGo! Mode, you’ll be taking on a series of challenges to help the titular Amigo become a world-famous online streamer. By completing missions and beating opponents, Amigo will start to earn more and more followers. Streamigo! Mode sorta feels like it’s the game’s campaign mode since you’ll be interacting with other characters as you try to make it to the top. There’s even an online mode in which you take on players from around the world as you knock other players out by getting a better score. It’s not a full-on battle royale thing, but it’s on the right track.
There are 40 songs in Samba de Amigo: Party Central for you to enjoy, so there’s bound to be someone in here for everyone. What’s the full track list, you ask? Check it out below!
| “Azukita” Steve Aoki and Play-N-Skillz featuring Daddy Yankee and Elvis Crespo | “Bang Bang” Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj |
| “Bom Bom” Sam and the Womp | “Break Free” Ariana Grande featuring Zedd |
| “Celebrate” Pitbull | “Centerfold” The J. Geils Band |
| “Chosen Mask” Sega | “The Cup of Life (Spanglish Version)” Ricky Martin |
| “Escape from the City” Sonic Adventure 2 | “Fist Bump” Sonic Forces |
| “Fugue in G minor” Cover | “Get Busy” Soolja |
| “Good Feeling” Flo Rida | “Good Time” Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen |
| “I Love It” Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX | “I Really Like You” Carly Rae Jepsen |
| “I Will Survive (Eric Kupper Mix Edit)” Gloria Gaynor | “I Won’t Let You Down” OK Go |
| “Just Dance” Lady Gaga featuring Colby O’Donis | “Karma Chameleon” Culture Club |
| “La Bamba” Cover | “Let You Go” Diplo and TSHA featuring Kareem Lomax |
| “Let’s Find It and Shake It” Sega | “Macarena” Cover |
| “Make Way” Aloe Blacc | “Move Your Feet” Junior Senior |
| “Moves like Jagger” Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera | “Pa’lla” Max Pizzolante |
| “Panama” Matteo | “Payback” Cheat Codes featuring Icona Pop |
| “Plastic Hearts” Miley Cyrus | “Pompeii” Bastille |
| “Runaway (U & I)” Galantis | “Scent of Your Sweet Love” Sega |
| “Sucker” Jonas Brothers | “Tik Tok” Kesha |
| “Vamos a Carnaval” Sega | “XS” Rina Sawayama |
| “You & Me” Marshmello | “You Give Love a Bad Name” Bon Jovi |
It’s been a while since the last time we got a chance to play a Samba de Amigo game – going all the way back to the Nintendo Wii version from 2008. For this 2023 party, we’re getting 40 songs to play from a wide range of artists, including songs from different games in the Sega library. As you shake, shake, shake the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con in time to the beat as you move them around the different preset positions – while also getting a chance to strike a pose – you’ll be able to have some fun on your own in local multiplayer, or in an online battle to try and show everyone you’re the best one out there.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is out on Nintendo Switch with a $39.99 asking price. There’s also a DLC Japanese Music Pack for $4.99 that adds three songs -“Kaikai Kitan” by Eve, “MATSUKENSAMBA II” by Ken Matsudaira, and “KING” by GUMI. You can also get the Samba de Amigo: Party Central Digital Deluxe Edition for $49.99. What this gets you is the main game, the Sonic the Hedgehog DLC Pack, Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails costumes, extra costumes and accessories from the Space Channel 5, Super Monkey Ball, and PuyoPuyo. Oh, and you’ll also get additional songs from Space Channel 5, RGG Studio, and Rhythm Thief!
Disclaimer
This Samba de Amigo: Party Central review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by SEGA.
