De Mambo
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for De Mambo
De Mambo does exactly what it is meant to do by taking over your living room and providing you and your family or friends with utter chaos and fun. The core gameplay works a treat and its simplistic control method and ideology suit the game perfectly, resulting in a competitive title that is easy to learn, yet hard to master.For solo players, being unable to play what is essentially the heart of De Mambo in its main mode makes it impossible to justify a purchase. For people who want to grab some friends and have something to pass the time however, this is a suitable option, even if it maybe won't keep your attention for hundreds of rounds. The gameplay does eventually get repetitive, although great strides have been taken to ensure this doesn't happen too quickly and there is definitely much fun to be had here.
De Mambo isn't the next big fighting game, nor did it deliver on all its promised content from its Kickstarter as it had been stated there would be a Zelda II-like campaign mode which isn't here, instead replaced by the short stage-based solo mode. That being said, I like De Mambo alright. It's a fun distraction to casually play with friends -- be they competitive or casual -- and will perhaps help hold us all over till a proper Smash Bros. releases on the Switch; much like how the developers waited for a 3DS version. This is one fun little dance.
A noble attempt to offer an alternative to Smash Bros., and although there are some mechanical issues the multiplayer is still plenty of fun regardless.
Overall, De Mambo nails down the unique factor for the game, but it does so without the basic building blocks required beforehand.
While De Mambo might not be the most friendly platformer or accessible party fighter, its frantic play-style and unsettling atmosphere make it one of the most unique titles available for the Nintendo Switch.
No online play, bland levels and not enough of a hook to keep me coming back for more is unfortunately what stands out the most. That's not to say there isn't a place for this game if you have access to a group of friends who can regularly meet up and want a bite sized party game. It does enough right that makes it worth checking out in the right circumstances, just don't expect to play hours on end.
I really wanted to like De Mambo. It’s oozing with great ideas and potential. Add that to a mix of inspiration from several beloved genres and you should get a dish that tastes of a classic indie title. However, it does seem that the chefs at The Dangerous Kitchen wrote a recipe down with a certain ingredient and stubbornly tried to force it to work in hope of a new flavour. A trait that even legendary developers can sometimes fall victim to.
De Mambo feels as if it was made for the Switch, with the game really embracing the multiplayer functionalities that the Switch has to offer. It’s great to play with a few friends, but also doesn’t alienate those who want a single-player experience. Add in some great retro aesthetics to go along with its frantic gameplay and De Mambo is worth a purchase.
