Similar Games
Samba de Amigo: Party Central Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is more of a small get-together than a full-on party.
Samba De Amigo: Party Central is the kind of dumb fun this former arcade dweller misses. It’s an arcade conversion without the cabinet, for good and ill. Born
Using Joy-Cons to play Samba de Amigo may not be quite as good as replica maracas, and buttons even less so, but the core experience here remains as entertaining as ever. With its eclectic selection of songs and a wide variety of modes, Samba de Amigo: Party Central has a little something for everyone, and is fun whether you’re playing it alone on a rainy day or with others at a party. If you’re a fan of the series or simply love rhythm games, chances are this will put a big smile on your face, even if you feel like you’re sometimes cheated of a perfect score.
Reading back through this review it sounds negative, but that’s because I’m coming to it from the perspective of someone who generally plays single-player and is passionate about the skill tester side of rhythm games. Samba de Amigo is one of those rare rhythm games that isn’t expressly for me. I do love its quality as a party game, and a drinking game, and so it’ll stay firmly in my Switch’s memory. It’s just that, even despite the cracking soundtrack, it’s also not going to join the rotation of rhythm games I use to de-stress and tune out of the world with.
While Samba de Amigo: Party Central has a few shortcomings, its intense energy and atmosphere demand a great time for all who are willing to give this little mascot the proper shake.
What time is it? It's time to monkey around with a pair of maracas in the energetic rhythm game that is Samba de Amigo: Party Central.
Samba de Amigo is a hoot with friends, sure to generate laughs and memorable moments. Just don’t expect an engrossing single-player rhythm game experience.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central marks the return of the rhythm action series with a playlist that will get you and your friends moving thanks to 40 hits from the world’s most popular genres including EDM, pop, Latin, and more.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central isn’t a particularly necessary addition for rhythm gamers on the Switch, but it’s a solid party game if that’s something you’re looking for. While the controls aren’t as accurate as I’d like, the core gameplay is still enjoyable. The song list is largely inoffensive, and it’s likely you’ll find at least a handful of songs you might like. There are some fun additional modes and options to try that, while imperfect, add more playability to this game. I’m eager to see future song packs added, because the ones that exist are already pretty entertaini…
Despite all that, I still find enjoyment in this game as the concept of shaking a Joy-Con to the beat never gets old to me. That’s despite Amigo’s smile haunting my nightmares tonight.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is great fun, dragged down by an uninspired tracklist that loses the series' original identity.
