by Sega

I could probably adapt more dialogue from Hamlet for this review, but the above pretty much sums things up. Playing this game with the Dreamcast controller was akin to watching a Shakespearean Tragedy. Here was a game magnificent in its presentation, but its hamartia (tragic flaw for you non-lit types) was the Dreamcast controller. Like Hamlet’s indecision, the controller not only kept this game from becoming a king among games, but ultimately led to its downfall.

Samba de Amigo was going to be the Dreamcast game of the year. I was finally going to be able to get my wife hooked on my Sega (she’s only picked up my games to put them away). My wife is a musician and I knew that she would not be able to resist the maracas, but alas, no maracas came with the game. How could I play a maraca game without the maracas? With great difficulty. Our Wal-Mart didn’t get any in, and our local video game place only got a single set. Many games out there use optional special controllers. Many would argue that the Namco fighting games need the arcade stick, but it’s not necessary. Some would say that a steering wheel is imperative for Tokyo Extreme, and sure, it would be nice, but hardly required. There are those who would argue that the Dreamcast version of Quake demands that you have the mouse controller, and, while I can appreciate its advantages, you can still do some serious fragging without it. But, alas, Samba De Amigo is one of the few games where the controllers are not optional.

I was counting down the days until Samba De Amigo came out. Here was another game to further justify my continued allegiance to the Sega Corporation. One more game with which we could thumb our noses at those pathetic PS2 fanatics. There’s been nothing like Samba de Amigo before. I anticipated the ultimate party game, and what I got was the ultimate bore. Don’t get me wrong. I still think this could be one of the great games, but I won’t know for sure until I get my hands on some maracas (if I get my hands on some maracas). I don’t understand how Sega could send this game out for review knowing that the gameplay was almost entirely dependent on the controller.

I can’t give this game a rating because I don’t feel like I’ve really played it. Sega should have bundled the maracas and the game for a hundred bucks and avoided the pretense of these controllers being optional. If you’re contemplating buying this game you also need to consider getting the maracas, which would make this a $120.00 game. I suspect that it would be money well spent, but I can’t know for sure until I get my hands on those maracas. The only audience for this game sans maracas might be the couch potato who wants the appearance of a hip game (because it is a hip game) without actually having to lug his carcass out of the Lazyboy. For the rest of us, it’s a question of whether or not we’ve got the cash to pay for the experience. And since I lack that kind of money, I will continue to look for new gaming experiences in the discount aisle.

Jason Frank