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That funky monkey

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 10
Date: October 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Played the Import, its a blast, wild colors, a monkey thats gotta be on Xtc or something, and pretty good tunes. Only bad thing about this game is with a standard controller its kinda boring and hard. Oh and only other bad thing (thats 2 i know) the lame "internet downloadable" music the import had, I hate most video game muic and the internet downloadable was god awful video game music (sonic racing? rent a hero no. 1?), which just sounded off compared to songs like "tequilla" or even "take on me". Other then that its a great game and solid in every way. SAMBA!

Samba

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: October 25, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game rocks, if you buy this game you need to get the maracas as well because thats the only why to play the game. playing with the contoller gets confusing and you can't do the moves that they want you to do. The music is the best thing about the game, ranging from tequila to ricky martin. Although the maracas cost alot they are worth the money. Gameplay is easy to pick up and there are cool mini games in it that need to be mastered to unlock more songs. Must buy!

The best game you've never heard of. BUY IT!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: November 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This has to be the greatest game ever created. Nothing is more fun than shaking maracas at a furious pace, trying to keep up with those funky Latin beats. Don't bother trying to play without the maracas controllers because half the fun is having people laugh at each other while they Samba their butts off. Trust me, you need this game.

Hahaha.... this... game... is... so... much... hahaha!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: November 21, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I cannot stop laughing, this game is so much fun. All my friends are rolling on the floor laughing at themselves, but they keep playing because it is so much fun (and they are a tough crowd). Samba de Amigo is the *perfect* party game, because absolutely everyone comes over to see what is going on, and even the stiffest square will eventually give it a go. I can actually get my grandmother to play.

Samba de Amigo is a music game, in which you shake maracas to the beat of the music. You shake 'em high, you shake 'em low, you shake 'em fast, you shake 'em slow :) You strike funny poses at times, and the rythmns gets harder, but the fun never goes away. It's one of those simple things that makes you think "Why did anyone think of this before?"

ps - you absolutely must buy the maraca controllers to play this game if you want to enjoy it. Get 2 sets - after one party, you'll feel that you got your money's worth.

Party of three

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game and since then my life is a party.... It all started when my mom found me dancin' and shaking the maracas. I told her it was easy and not like other games. She started playing. She started off terible, but soon she cault on. My dad came home and me and mom got him to join. After a little bit my mom cooked dinner and my dad went to read the news paper. I was tired. I started playing JET GRIND RADIO (the other greatest game in the world. THE END I hope you buy the maracas too. You need them!

Shake your Booty!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is such a blast, even if you don't like video games! I had so much fun with this game. I got my mom and dad to play, which in it's self speaks volumes. The game is so addicting and so fast paced you'll lose track of time playing. It will attract your brother, sister, mom, dad, and possibly your grandparents.

From the technical standpoint, this game has such flow, due to the spiffy graphics and smooth 60fps. It's fast, challenging, and heck of a lot of fun to play. This game will interest hardcore gamers, like myself, as well as the casual gamer.***Don't play this game without the maraca controllers*** Trust me on this one, you won't enjoy the game as much. Buy the maracas immediately after you buy Samba De Amigo.

My only knock on the game is the total price; but if you can stomach the cost, you are on your way to having some serious fun!

The greatest party game ever, but could have been even more.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Let's start with a negative: the price. .... Do not purchase it without two sets of maracas; they're the gimmicks that make this work.

Now a positive: Wow. Never before have audio and hardware combined to create such an enjoyable, rousing, cat-calling, party-down experience. If you're not having a party when you start playing, give it five minutes and SOMEONE is bound to show up, wondering what the heck's making you laugh and dance and sing so loudly. Shaking the maracas to the beat works so well, and becomes so transparent, that you truly lose yourself in the immersive, interactive kookiness of Samba and his amigo's.

BUT...

It could have been so much more. There are no true "characters" or any attempts at a story line (unlike Space Channel 5 or the grand-daddy of dance games, PaRappa). After two songs, that's it, with nothing more than a score. And even that is poorly implemented: the game doesn't officially declare a "winner", leaving two players who both score a "B" to argue over the importance of accuracy versus score versus "Amigos" (repeated perfect hits...). Just TELL us who won, and save us some arguments! :)

The backgrounds are, um, there. They mean nothing, do nothing, convey no story nor message, nor offer any meaningful feedback. Yet they constantly wage a visual battle with the true interface (see below) for your attention, and annoy and distract at times. They DO add to the frenetic mood of dancing to the beat, but (again...) more could have been done with all of Dreamcast's horsepower.

And the actual "game" graphics aren't the best at doing their job. Six indicators (high, medium and low for left and right) arranged in a circle - that's fine. But the dots emanating from the center are too vague to convey the percussive nature of shaking a maraca on the beat. Most of the time, it's possible to match the music's rhythm for accurate shaking; this is actually the point of the game. But sometimes the Sega choreographers choose to emphasize lyrical phrases or syncopated accent noises that fall between or around beats, forcing players to rely on the flowing dots. It's like trying to follow a conductor who swings his baton in circles -- too vague.

But it's unfair to criticize a game THIS fun and unique for things it DOESN'T do. What it DOES do is get people off their butts and into the fun.

It's this kind of offering that will continue to make the Dreamcast a delightful home-gaming system: it's not a "safe" fighting/driving/sports game that's guaranteed to sell a billion units, and its price tag will prevent it from becoming a monstrous hit. However, if you're having a gathering of ANY kind, you can't do better than Samba and his friends. .... This year, at least, your gaming money would be better spent on Samba and a pair of maracas...

Definately worth the price.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Okay... the game itself is cheap .... But you WILL need Maracas to have any kind of fun (2 sets recommended). In the end you will have spent ..., but you will also have the best party game ever invented and I guarantee you'll forget about the two bills you just threw away on plastic maracas and a silver disc.

The basic premise is to match the beat and the height of the balls with your maracas (or your controller if you haven't taken the plunge) to some popular latin and other music. It sounds simple but it's can be quite trying at times. You'll also look like a complete idiot. But who cares. Never has a game brought laughter and joy to a room full of people in house before... EVEN non-gamers.

A few negatives. It's easy for people to just shake the maraca endlessly to score a hit in that zone instead of timing the beat (it doesn't fault for overshaking) although it may come back to haunt them in the end since they may be too busy shaking to move to another height. The graphics are beautiful but only those who are observing the game can get any kind of enjoyment out of them since the player will spend all his or her time watching the balls. Oh... and the price of those controllers. Let's just hope Sega releases a slew of Samba De Amigo games to justify the purchase price of these maracas more.

Nah, heck with that... it's justified more than enough with the laughs we've been having with this clever game. Best [money] ever spent! Buy it now.

Total gaming pleasure

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I picked up Samba not thinking I'd enjoy it but boy was I wrong. Samba had me hooked instantly and the following day I went out bought the maracas. I must say the game is great with just the controller but it's totally fun with the maracas.

During a recent family party, I put the game on and had everyone doing the maracas in no time! People who never really played games before were having a blast!

Part of the fun of the game is trying to win new music by beating the "Challenge" mode which can be quite difficult. But it's worth it when you unlock new tunes to shake your maracas too! Even young gamers can have fun playing "Whack a mole" with the maracas. This game is pure genius.

Also, you can download tunes off of the Samba web site via your Dreamcast. Finally, a game for the masses and one that will turn you into a dancing fool!

It made me buy a Dreamcast

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I have not wanted a video game machine since I was 7 and the Atari was all the rage, but playing this game at my brother's house FORCED me to buy a Dreamcast. How could you go wrong with Latin music, shaking maracas, and psychadelic graphics featuring a crazy monkey? It is not only a fun party game, but a great tool for teaching music.

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