Samba de Amigo: Party Central Preview – Multiplayer Jam

Many may not consciously ponder this point, but rhythm games have to do quite a bit to become appealing. From needing to contain inviting songs to boasting several addictive modes, developers likely have their hands full with such implementations. This can apply doubly so when attempting to reach out to crowds who are complete newcomers to the genre.

And after playing a preview build of the upcoming Samba de Amigo: Party Central, this unexpected franchise revival genuinely impressed me with its sheer replayability and number of replayable modes.

Firstly, I dabbled in the self-explanatory Rhythm Game and perused the vast song selection, comprising many culturally relevant tracks and some directly from video games. I’m only really knowledgeable of the latter, so I couldn’t really tell you if the former lineup is appealing, but you do have an impressive degree of choice. Regarding the video game origin songs, I mainly stuck to those from Sonic the Hedgehog: “Fist Bump” and Escape from the City.”

You can play with either buttons or motion controls, and I utilized the former, though the game seems primarily built on the latter. During songs, the locations for inputs are directional-based, and they’re mapped out in such a way that clearly reinforces real-life movement. Still, using buttons only is a satisfactory substitute, if a tad boring on the easier difficulties.

Another collective mode is “Party for Two,” which houses various multiplayer activities. For one, you have the standard Rhythm Game in a versus format; I played a good deal of this and found it pretty fun. The “Showdown” mode is an enhanced iteration of the standard fare, as there’s punishment games for those who lose.

Granted, these actions are performed in real life, so they’re ideal for parties or meet-ups with friends. The punishments themselves are all light physical comedy from what I’ve seen, and they can only be concluded once the winner is satisfied. With that being the case, you may want to be careful with this mode if you’re playing with someone who’s highly competitive.

The most unexpected mode I dabbled in was StreamiGo!; a story mode-like scenario where you cooperate with various in-universe artists to perform songs to achieve a greater social media following. I was honestly pretty relieved by this inclusion since I have a preference for transparent goals you can track in games rather than making your own as you play.

Lastly of note is the in-game shop, housing a countless number of customization items. You can obtain costumes or accessories to outfit your player character, usually bolstering its adorably creepy facial features. The Sonic-themed items, in particular, look wrong yet right.

From the hour I’ve played, Samba de Amigo: Party Central is definitely meant for those who desire a multiplayer-centric rhythm game experience. Of course, there are single-player components, but when considering the myriad of multiplayer modes and accompanying variations, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you have friends to hang out with. While this may be disappointing to some, it’s respectable to see a title know its strengths and embrace them wholeheartedly.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is coming to Nintendo Switch on August 29, 2023.