NOTE: I played the Meta Quest version and have to review it here because Backloggd hasn't flipped the switch on the Quest game's page yet (still has a 12/31 release date).
Samba de Amigo in VR is the final form of this game. I never played the Dreamcast one but I did play the Wii one and the demo of the Switch game and found the controls in both cases to be highly compromised.
Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party, a Meta Quest exclusive VR port of the Switch game with (I'm 95% sure) complete feature and song parity, is everything I always hoped I would get out of this series. In first person with excellent maraca tracking/shaking effects, I really felt like I was playing this game the way it was meant to be played. In fact, contrary to the flat-screen port, this version of the game is so intuitive I was doing songs on the hardest difficulty in the first hour of playing (okay maybe it's a little easy as far as rhythm games go but still!).
It plays exactly the same as its console brethren too; you're doing the same shakes, the same poses, the same Elite Beat Agents tracing, and the same fun little minigames. Except it completely works! And, secondarily, it's a pretty good workout. I regularly burn 400 calories per 45 minute session. Unlike other rhythm/workout games in VR, you aren't over-exerting joints or bending too much so I'm finding it to be a very sustainable light exercise.
I do agree with feedback that the song list leans non-Latin pop heavy -- I would have enjoyed even just a Lou Bega/Sean Paul song or two -- but the song list has Escape to the City, Centerfold by J. Geils Band, and Pompeii by Bastille so I am still having a pretty good time with it. A bit more music would have been nice too.
My main criticisms are (1) that although the tracking works mostly perfect, every one out of nine or ten times, the tracing or a more complicated dance move might struggle to pick up. Hard to tell if it's me (though the tracing does ask a bit too much of you on higher difficulties I feel) or the game; and (2) The included campaign mode is a little barebones.
It gives you 80 missions which are all pretty fun, including combo challenges, score/rank/perfect challenges, and VS. mode boss battles against Samba De Amigo characters where you have to out-score them. The premise of you being a dance streamer building followers by doing missions is a fun premise, but there is basically no writing or cutscenes or flavor. Just missions and a number going up. In fact, after I beat what is effectively the final boss, there was no ending nor even credits to roll. It just kicked me back to the missions.
So, yeah. Kind of a barebones package with a few small issues but, on the other hand, also an amazing rhythm game that low-key realizes the potential of this franchise? Why is no one advertising this game? It's so good and no one is talking about it so I'm convinced I might be hallucinating the fact that it came out.
P.S. If you get it on Quest, go to the comments of the user reviews on the Quest app and use one of the spam comment coupon codes to get it for 25% off. It's launching at $30 (cheaper than the identical but inferior Switch release) so if you use one of those codes you can get the game for like $22-24 I'm guessing. And you absolutely should.
Samba de Amigo in VR is the final form of this game. I never played the Dreamcast one but I did play the Wii one and the demo of the Switch game and found the controls in both cases to be highly compromised.
Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party, a Meta Quest exclusive VR port of the Switch game with (I'm 95% sure) complete feature and song parity, is everything I always hoped I would get out of this series. In first person with excellent maraca tracking/shaking effects, I really felt like I was playing this game the way it was meant to be played. In fact, contrary to the flat-screen port, this version of the game is so intuitive I was doing songs on the hardest difficulty in the first hour of playing (okay maybe it's a little easy as far as rhythm games go but still!).
It plays exactly the same as its console brethren too; you're doing the same shakes, the same poses, the same Elite Beat Agents tracing, and the same fun little minigames. Except it completely works! And, secondarily, it's a pretty good workout. I regularly burn 400 calories per 45 minute session. Unlike other rhythm/workout games in VR, you aren't over-exerting joints or bending too much so I'm finding it to be a very sustainable light exercise.
I do agree with feedback that the song list leans non-Latin pop heavy -- I would have enjoyed even just a Lou Bega/Sean Paul song or two -- but the song list has Escape to the City, Centerfold by J. Geils Band, and Pompeii by Bastille so I am still having a pretty good time with it. A bit more music would have been nice too.
My main criticisms are (1) that although the tracking works mostly perfect, every one out of nine or ten times, the tracing or a more complicated dance move might struggle to pick up. Hard to tell if it's me (though the tracing does ask a bit too much of you on higher difficulties I feel) or the game; and (2) The included campaign mode is a little barebones.
It gives you 80 missions which are all pretty fun, including combo challenges, score/rank/perfect challenges, and VS. mode boss battles against Samba De Amigo characters where you have to out-score them. The premise of you being a dance streamer building followers by doing missions is a fun premise, but there is basically no writing or cutscenes or flavor. Just missions and a number going up. In fact, after I beat what is effectively the final boss, there was no ending nor even credits to roll. It just kicked me back to the missions.
So, yeah. Kind of a barebones package with a few small issues but, on the other hand, also an amazing rhythm game that low-key realizes the potential of this franchise? Why is no one advertising this game? It's so good and no one is talking about it so I'm convinced I might be hallucinating the fact that it came out.
P.S. If you get it on Quest, go to the comments of the user reviews on the Quest app and use one of the spam comment coupon codes to get it for 25% off. It's launching at $30 (cheaper than the identical but inferior Switch release) so if you use one of those codes you can get the game for like $22-24 I'm guessing. And you absolutely should.