Rhythm games are a hit in modern gaming due to how they perfectly mix gameplay with amazing soundtracks that are so good they could take away players' concentration at critical moments.
However, this genre, like so many, needs to have a beginning - a place to start, and while Parappa the Rapper is credited as the first true rhythm game that laid the foundation for the genre, others helped it grow.
That is the story of Sega's Samba de Amigo.
Samba De Amigo History, Gameplay
Samba de Amigo is a rhythm game developed by Sega's Sonic Team and published by SEGA initially for the arcades in December 1999 and for its Dreamcast video game console in 2000, per the SEGA fandom.
The game is not your ordinary SEGA Dreamcast game. Interestingly, it is played using a pair of maracas players who must shake at varying heights with the beat of the music or strike poses, holding them in various positions.
These maracas aren't your typical maracas, either. According to Gamespot, these maracas come with a floor sensor that detects when and where the maracas are shaken. Playing the game with a Dreamcast pad is also possible, but using the maracas and the floor sensor is highly recommended to get the most fun out of the game.
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Typical of a console port of an arcade game, it doesn't have a plot like Parappa the Rapper has. Instead, it focuses on bringing as much fun to players as it possibly can using various songs, music pieces, and the two maracas players use.
First, players have to calibrate the game's controls to guarantee they are hitting the right spots, per IGN. These spots are divided into three onscreen shake zones: upper, middle, and lower. Once that's done, players will need to shake the maracas at the right spot with the song's rhythm to score points.
The game sometimes requires players to strike a pose mimicking the one shown by the onscreen avatar. Although successfully striking this pose can earn you points, the music and songs featured in the game are "quite amazing," with its selections varying from Latin to hilarious covers of popular songs like "Take On Me."
The US version, meanwhile, comes with covers of two Ricky Martin songs that feel right at home with the game: "Cup of Life" and "Livin' La Vida Loca."
Critical Reception And Revival In Modern Times
Critical reception for Samba de Amigo is mostly positive. Gamespot gave it four-and-a-half stars for being one of the best music and rhythm games released at the time, while IGN gave it a score of 7.5/10, noting it is a good game for casual gamers.
The game was so good that Nintendo ported it for the Nintendo Wii in 2008, per Polygon, and a surprise return on the Nintendo Switch, per a recent Gamespot article.
The game now comes with a more modern look and simplified shake zones, with the Switch's Joy-Cons replacing the SEGA Deamcast's maracas.
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