As revealed during the surprise February Nintendo Direct, Sega’s Dreamcast-era mascot is back in Samba de Amigo: Party Central, a rhythm-action revival set to come to Nintendo Switch with a release date in summer 2023. The trailer revealed during today’s Direct marks the first time audiences have seen the maraca-shaking monkey since a Wii outing launched in 2008. Much has changed since then and even more has changed since the console port left arcades and came to Dreamcast in 2000.
The Dreamcast release gave players the option to purchase a physical maraca peripheral for a more immersive experience. This time around, it looks like players will have a fine time simply using the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers instead. You can see Samba de Amigo: Party Central in the reveal trailer below.
While it’s certainly a shock to see Samba de Amigo return after so many years, the surprise was somewhat spoiled when a leak from Twitter user SnoopyTech revealed the new project earlier today. Along with in-game screenshots and box art, the Twitter thread shared a summary of the game that teased loads of mini-games, a library of 40 songs, and DLC. The leak also teased a release date of June 30, though that part has not been officially confirmed. Party Central will bring the franchise to a new generation sometime this summer, but you can read the leaked description below:
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. Plus, with a wide variety of mini-games and challenges to enjoy; a ton of unique costumes and accessories to unlock and wear; and new online features – including an 8-player World Party mode, there’s plenty of fuel to ignite the party!
https://twitter.com/_snoopytech_/status/1623379988379476002
