The short-lived but beloved Sega Dreamcast video game console had its share of innovative and uniquely fun games. One of those was the music/rhythm title Samba de Amigo. Players would shake maraca peripheral controllers (sold separately) to the beat of the music at either high, middle, or low intervals, depending on the on-screen cues. The maracas used a sensor bar to detect height, similar to how the sensor bar on the Wii detects the motion of the remotes. So it only seems natural to port Samba de Amigo to the Wii. Does it still have what it shakes? Read on to find out:

In Samba de Amigo, there are six circles arranged in high, middle, and low points. Dots originate from the middle and when they reach the inside of a circle, you must shake the remote at the appropriate height to the beat of the music. The Wii version features most of the songs from the Dreamcast, plus a lot more. And it adds the “Hustle” dance moves from the Japan-only Ver. 2000 game. You can play solo or multiplayer, with a remote and nunchuck or two remotes. Upload your high scores to an online leaderboard and use Wii Points to download more songs with WiFi support. Sega fans, take note: there are special guest appearance in the game from a certain hedgehog (kids love Sonic), and Space Channel 5 (Ulala rocks!). A few simple mini-games and other goodies round out the package.

In general, Samba de Amigo on the Wii has all the maraca shaking musical fun from the Dreamcast version. But there is one glaring problem: the controls. While the Dreamcast game had its share of control quibbles, they’re more apparent in the Wii version. First of all, the Wii game measures where you shake not by height, but by how you tilt the remote. This takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you’re more accustomed to the Dreamcast one. One good thing about the Wii controls is that you can play Samba de Amigo while sitting down. Unfortunately, while it isn’t noticeable in Easy and Normal modes, once you hit the harder levels, you’ll start to notice just how inaccurate the Wii controls are for this game. Especially when there are multiple dots on screen coming in several directions. It’s sad that bad controls hamper what’s otherwise a super fun music game.

Kid Factor:
Samba de Amigo is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB Descriptor of Mild Lyrics, though the songs are nothing worse than what you’d hear on the radio. While it’s a family friendly game that teaches kids the basics of rhythm in music; most gamers, young and old, will eventually get frustrated at the game’s sloppy controls.

Tags: Game Reviews