Go Fanboy - Everyone Has a Favorite

It's strange how these dancing phenomenons sneak up on you, don't they? The day that Parappa the Rappa found a release for the Playstation a few years ago, I said to myself, "Bah, this'll be just another passing fad.

I'll just give this a go and then it's back to Street Fighter." Little did I know how catchy the game would be, with its undeniable rhythms and its utter hipness. What other game lets you get down with a stinky martial arts onion and an urban moose driving instructor? Strangely enough, my friend James, a fighting fanatic, also got into the game, and, for many weeks after, our dialogue went like "I forgot to close the door", "Yes, you forgot to close the door". That, of course, ceased when his wife Mandy finally closed the door, but hey, go fig. She just wanted in the house, I suppose.

Now the dancing craze continues, this time in a whole new direction with Sega's Samba de Amigo. Programmed by the fanciful programmers over at Sonic Team, the game takes a whole new step from anything they've done before. Like Chu Chu Rocket, Samba de Amigo will more than likely attract the niche market first (fans of dancing games), but still appeals to all gamers in general. It's a rhythm game where you have to shake to a specific song, pressing or shaking in the right direction as little circles approach these donut-like sensors. Trust me, it's simpler than you think it is.

This game has an addictive level to it all its own, and I'll go over it in the breakdown...

Visuals:: Hardly anything has changed from the hit import game of the same name. The text is now in very readable English (along with a greatly designed logo), and instructions are simple to follow. Past that, it's the same frantic madness as before, with beautiful, insane graphics that keep up with the pace of the music, wonderfully animated characters that bop all over the place (that monkey, Amigo, is NUTS), and nearly-hypnotic colorful displays that light up when you get into a high-combo count. The game doesn't have a hint of slowdown whatsoever and should keep players entertained heartily with its different settings and its non-stop action. A perfect translation, that's what this is...even the presentation screens are fun to look at.

Audio:: Only a couple of minor changes in the formula here. Sega's gone and added several songs to the mix, including such Ricky Martin favorites as "Cup of Life" and "Livin' La Vida Loca" (not sung by Ricky, but, oh, well) and a remixed "Tubthumping". Past that, what's here is a wonderful soundtrack of lively tunes. Even the "Macarena" song I got sick of years ago makes this game fun...what a shocker. The sound effects are plentiful, with the crowd cheering you on in later combo counts and an indication of a change in grade of your performance, with kids saying, "YAY!" or the crowd jeering you with a meaty "BOO!" as you progress. What a great sounding game.

Gameplay/Control:: I don't know if I spoke about this in my import review, but the game has a terrific grading system, where you can earn anything from an A all the way down to an F. So, yes, please watch your beats. Now, with that out of the way, you've got some very catchy gameplay here. The game can be played rather well with a controller, but, let's face it, it's not nearly as much fun as grabbing yourself a pair of maraca controllers. They may be rather costly ($80 a pop), but the end result will mean more fun for you, I assure you. The controllers handle beautifully, with motion sensors and the use of a pad that keep you in check perfectly. Hell, buy two pairs and get into the two player mode, where even more maraca shaking madness ensues. Sonic Team has created another unbelievably cool game that I never thought I would get hooked into- a surprising, very playable effort. I hope Sega has some kind of plan to introduce Version 2000 somewhere down the road here.

Extras:: A lot. As if there weren't already enough great songs on the soundtrack, you can download additional tunes from Sega's gaming past, including "Super Sonic Racing" from Sonic R and "Magical Shower Breeze" from Out Run. The effect is wonderful, particularly for Sonic Team fans. There's also bonus stages to earn with perfect scores, different challenges and stage modes to choose from (including a helpful training mode), and the two-player versus games, which I've already acclaimed earlier in this review. Trust me, you'll find a lot to do here.

Overall:: So what's missing from Samba de Amigo to keep it from being absolutely perfect? A playable female character, I suppose- that butterfly dancer is awesome. But, past that, Sonic Team has created another Dreamcast classic that no Sega gamer should miss out on. Between its bouncy visuals and soundtrack and its zesty gameplay, Samba de Amigo offers a party experience that goes unequaled- even Saturn Bomberman can't keep up with this. Yeah, that's right, the ultimate party game can't keep up with a maraca-shaking monkey and company. How's that for progress?

Score:: 9.5/10