Samba de Amigo: Party Central, the Switch instalment of Sega’s classic maraca-shaking rhythm game, now has an eShop demo in Europe ahead of its full launch next Tuesday, 29th August.
Sega’s Switch version takes the exuberant rhythm-action of the Dreamcast original – where the goal is essentially to orientate your maraca-ing arms to match the position shown on screen then shake in time with the prompts – but slings in new mini-game-like interludes as songs progress.
Additionally, Love Checker mode is back for those eager to gauge their compatibility with a partner based on the accuracy of their maraca-ing prowess, and there’s an online multiplayer mode, where the aim is to keep the beat and avoid being eliminated.
Party Central features 40 tracks at launch – mixing series staples like La Samba, Macarena, and La Copa de la Vida with more modern pop hits including Carly Rae Jepsen’s I Really Like You and Icona Pop’s I Love It – and additional music is set to follow as paid DLC.
Two of those base game tracks – Kesha’s Tik Tok and Shake Senora (feat. T-Pain & Sean Paul) – are now available in Samba de Amigo: Party Central’s newly released eShop demo, giving players the opportunity to flail their way through both songs on Normal, Hard, Super Hard, and Crazy. This, incidentally, is the same demo that released for North and South America last week.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central’s physical release and Digital Standard Edition will cost £34.99 at launch on 29th August. They’ll be accompanied by a £44.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game, Sonic Music DLC Pack, and Sega Music DLC Pack.
Samba de Amigo is, of course, keeping busy in the second half of 2023. Alongside its imminent Switch release, a separate version called Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go hits Apple Arcade on the same day. This too features 40 tracks – including three exclusive songs – and, in a first for the series, a Story Mode. Additionally, a Meta Quest Samba de Amigo – described as an “all-new entry” – is on the way at some point this year too.
