Samba de Amigo: Party Central Reviews
Samba de Amigo: Party Central isn't exactly the deepest rhythm game, but there's still fun to be had here, even if the overall product is held back by its finicky Joy-Con controls. A great soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay modes and a bold, eye-catching visual style help keep the party going even longer, but with a little refinement, future shindigs in this series can be even greater than ever.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central brings back the cult classic monkey and all the fun that comes with him, but it does too much in the wrong places. By bombarding the player with no fewer than three different progress bars to level up in, any sense of growth, progress or leveling feels arbitrary and unnecessary. They feel like an attempt to hide the fact that Samba de Amigo is an arcade game about a dancing monkey that you can dress up in silly little outfits; it doesn't need to be an RPG, so why make it one? After all, Samba de Amigo is inherently fun-be it with maracas, a Wii remote, Joy-Con, or just buttons.
Samba de Amigo isn't perfect, but it's a good time for all, and I can already see this being brought out at parties as an instant ice-breaker.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is a perfect fit for Nintendo Switch. Its frantic and colorful game modes are the perfect ingredient for an evening with friends, and while I miss game modes to play with a single pair of Joy-Con, if all your friends bring the controllers you have hours and hours of fun and laughter ahead of you.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Samba de Amigo: Party Central will capture you with its simple yet efficient gameplay, enriched by new enjoyable features.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is an entertaining music-rhythm game in theory, but it slips on banana peels that Sega threw on the ground constantly. The controls are certainly an improvement from the Wii game, but the game still suffers from a lack of input when you move sideways. The roulette system is a nuisance — especially in the single-player mode where you can’t turn it off — and the song list is a little disappointing with some overused pop tracks that have been featured in other games.
A perfectly solid rhythm action experience that manages to cater to casual and experienced players alike, although it lacks ambition.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is that game that we will never want to lose sight of, either to sweat a little or to have a pleasant time when we have a visit. It's so entertaining and the song selection is so varied, it's easy to forget about the problems with the controls.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Any grievances mainly involve user interface choices and the occasional motion control hiccup, but there's nothing here that ultimately derails the experience. It's fun, it's entertaining, and it's sometimes a workout. Samba de Amigo: Party Central doesn't shake up its formula drastically, but it's still a blast.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is a charming hit of motion-controlled nostalgia, though inconsistent controller detection can be a buzzkill.
Overall, Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party is a fun VR rhythm game that gets you dancing and listening to some good songs. I welcome the fresh style and colorful, cartoony characters. The gameplay is solid rhythm fare, and while it doesn’t really add much new to the genre, it does deliver a solid and polished experience. I just wish the song list was longer and had more of a Latin flavor.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is the classic game you'd hardly start to get a solo game, but it's a must-have at a New Year's Eve, birthday, or any house party. You'll challenge each other to see who's the best dancer, mock whoever gets all the steps wrong, laugh, have fun, and sweat. Then, when the fiesta is over, you'll probably put it away until the next opportunity. Virtual maracas work very well and do not suffer from any input lag, and the only perplexity at the moment concerns the playlist, which includes neither many Latin hits nor many famous songs.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Samba de Amigo: Party Central does not require impeccable execution and absolute ear, nor very developed reflexes (more or less).
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you want to spend fun time with family and friends, you can definitely buy it to enrich your Switch collection, as it is not really an expensive game. However, if you were expecting a revolution in rhythm titles, that's something you're not going to find; but we can say that at least it entertains the people.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Samba de Amigo is a hoot with friends, sure to generate laughs and memorable moments. Just don't expect an engrossing single-player rhythm game experience.
Samba De Amigo: Party Central may not a perfect experience, but it’s fun enough to be a fun addition to any Friday night get-together.
Samba De Amigo: Party Central isn't quite the revitalisation of the licensed music rhythm game, but it is a decent, weird and charming little title. It's a big deal that the franchise is returning after fifteen years and to celebrate is a fun enough and grooving adventure that celebrates both a wide range of excellent songs across multiple genres and even the SEGA name as a whole. Playing in multiplayer, competitively or co-operatively makes for dastardly sabotage or harmonious pairing fun. While this lets up somewhat in motion control movements not being as responsive as they should, button prompt inputs make for a rhythmic good time as you work up a finger cramp or two gliding your fingers across the face buttons. The Streamigo campaign mode may offer a nice setting but will test players with its grindy nature and artificially bloated length. Still, for every shortfall, there's enough whimsy in Party Central that it will be certainly worth picking up those maracas and shaking it all out to a moving, grooving time.
Samba De Amigo: Party Central is an addictive and incredibly fun rhythm game and an even better party game.
An extremely fun experience to share with friends, an interesting one when playing alone, if you love rhythm games.
Review in Italian | Read full review