Samba De Amigo Party Central Nintendo Switch Review
by Mathelene
Updated Aug 29, 2023
Samba De Amigo Party Central Nintendo Switch Review
Samba de Amigo: Party Central, developed and published by SEGA, marks the unexpected return of the beloved rhythm action franchise after a 15-year hiatus. Launching exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, this entry, guided by series creator Shun Nakamura, has garnered much attention and anticipation. However, while the game boasts impressive visuals and some innovative concepts, it ultimately falls short of its potential due to significant gameplay issues.
Visually, Samba de Amigo: Party Central shines with its vibrant and captivating presentation. The stages that play host to the 40 included tracks are a riot of colors, leaving players with the impression that SEGA might have even introduced new hues to the color spectrum. The attention to detail in the overall aesthetic, although marred by somewhat dated character animations reminiscent of the Dreamcast era, showcases a commitment to maintaining a polished and visually appealing experience.
The gameplay, unfortunately, doesn't live up to the visual splendor. The core objective revolves around mimicking maraca shakes using the Joy-Con controllers in rhythm with the on-screen cues. With six distinct zones to target, orbs of various colors emanate from the center of the screen, prompting players to shake the Joy-Con vertically, horizontally, or downward to match the required direction.
The concept draws parallels to other successful rhythm games like Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and Hatsune Miku games, which follow a similar format. However, the execution in Samba de Amigo: Party Central is deeply flawed. The accuracy issues and latency associated with the Joy-Con's tracking severely diminish the need for precision. Shockingly, players are often awarded successful hits even with minimal effort, rendering the gameplay mechanics ineffective.
The lack of a challenge fundamentally undermines the game's core purpose and makes it difficult to overlook this substantial shortcoming. For those seeking an alternative to motion controls, the option to switch to a button-based input scheme is available. This alternative approach, however, is far from intuitive, hindered by noticeable latency.
The game attempts to address this through customizable settings to mitigate audio and visual lag, yet the absence of real-time feedback and clarity on the settings' impact hampers any potential improvement. Additionally, the game introduces the "StreamiGo" mode, adding a novel dimension where players complete song sets in a simulated streaming environment. Although a creative inclusion, this mode struggles to mask the gameplay's underlying technical deficiencies.
Another area of disappointment lies in the tracklist. While the original Samba de Amigo was celebrated for its tight integration of Latin music and culture, this iteration diverges. The majority of tracks comprise outdated Latin tunes, aging pop songs, and a sparse selection of SEGA tracks. The distinct cultural identity that characterized the franchise's earlier entries has been diluted, resembling more of a playlist from a 2015 Just Dance title.
Samba De Amigo Party Central Nintendo Switch Overview
Release Date
August 29, 2023
No. of Players
Single System (1-2) Genre
Music
Publisher
SEGA
ESRB Rating
Everyone
Game File Size
1.9 GB
Supported Languages
English, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese,
Spanish, Traditional Chinese
Online (1-8)
Samba De Amigo Party Central
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is an upcoming motion-based rhythm game developed and set to be published by Sega. Serving as a sequel to the original Samba de Amigo, the game is slated for release on the Nintendo Switch on August 29, 2023. In this installment, players engage by rhythmically shaking their controllers in a maraca-like manner in sync with on-screen shapes.
Unlike its predecessor, Samba de Amigo: Party Central shifts its focus away from primarily Latin music, incorporating a broader range of popular music genres. Furthermore, an alternate version tailored for virtual reality, titled simply Samba de Amigo is in development for Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro platforms.
Anticipated for release in the upcoming fall of 2023, this VR adaptation will mark Sega's first foray into the realm of full virtual reality gaming. Additionally, an iteration named Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go designed for Apple Arcade is also scheduled for launch on the same date as Party Central.
Samba De Amigo Party Central Gameplay
The gameplay in Samba de Amigo: Party Central is reminiscent of its predecessor, involving the player mimicking maraca shakes by manipulating their controllers, portrayed in-game as maracas. Guided by on-screen graphics, players must shake their controllers to various angles in sync with the beat. A circular arrangement of six rings serves as the main interaction area, from which balls emerge in the Nintendo Switch version or from a distance in the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro version.
The objective is to shake the controller to match a ring's location when a ball reaches it. Additionally, directional arrows may connect rings, requiring the player to move their controller along the arrow's path. Periodically, a stick figure gesture appears, prompting players to imitate its move – static or dynamic – to earn extra points.
Multicolored balls marked with question marks trigger random events or "happenings," such as "High-Fives," "Crazy Dash," "Home Run," and "Pose Rush." These events can either transition to a minigame for a higher score or temporarily alter the gameplay. The option for button controls is also available.
The player's representation is the character Amigo, customizable with various clothing options purchased using in-game currency acquired through song completion and leveling up. The game environment becomes more dynamic and animated based on the player's performance.
Samba De Amigo Party Central Nintendo Switch Review - FAQs
The game released on August 29, 2023.
The game supports 1 to 2 players on a single system and up to 8 players online.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central falls under the music genre, offering a rhythm-based gameplay experience.
The game is published by SEGA.
The game has received an ESRB rating of Everyone, making it suitable for players of all ages.