Samba De Amigo

[Hero-of-Time]

I can see your point but the fact is they have had enough time to get the controls working and in a game like this it really is important to get it right. Also if the Dreamcast version could get the controls spot on then why not this one?

[Diageo]

Now the only gripe ive seen is that the controls dont seem to function properly when playing on hard level when everything is frantic and your waving your arms all over the place.

For me personaly, you also had the issue of not registering moves,hits etc on hard mode for the dreamcast versions too as you were moving so fast the sensor was moving all over the place, together with tangled wires you were very lucky if anything registered at all and even more lucky to get anything above a D rank.

 

I can see your point but the fact is they have had enough time to get the controls working and in a game like this it really is important to get it right. Also if the Dreamcast version could get the controls spot on then why not this one?

 

He just said that they didn't get it spot on...

[Hero-of-Time]

Here's some reviews from the Dreamcast version and while the IGN review does say there were a few hiccups they claim it was a rare thing. If you read most of the Wii reviews for the game they class it as a major flaw so it clearly must happen quite abit. Again they have had enough time to get the thing right.

 

http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/164/164748p1.html

 

http://uk.gamespot.com/dreamcast/puzzle/sambadeamigo/review.html

[Tellyn]

I can see your point but the fact is they have had enough time to get the controls working and in a game like this it really is important to get it right. Also if the Dreamcast version could get the controls spot on then why not this one?

 

Exactly. But the funny thing is, NGamer's early previews claim the controls were spot on. In the review, they said something major's happened in the jump from the last build to the final retail build, and the controls just aren't good anymore. Why ruin a good thing?

[-gonzo-]

I can see your point but the fact is they have had enough time to get the controls working and in a game like this it really is important to get it right. Also if the Dreamcast version could get the controls spot on then why not this one?

You need to remember that the Dreamcast contoller is totaly different to how the Wiimote works.

The Dreamcast youve got a base unit and maracas with sensors on them to determin height.

Inside the maracas is a long spring with a metal rod inside to detect your shakes when the spring hits the rod.

The Wiimote only uses the accelerometers to determin position and shakes.

Using the data from the Wii Remote, recognizing a shake is fairly easy; you can just watch for a strong movement or acceleration. The problem we had to address was that this movement could still affect which target the player was selecting. Remember that the Dreamcast maracas had different hardware than the Wii Remote – we had to use the data just from the Wii Remote's accelerometer to determine both selection AND shaking.

 

This was the most challenging part of developing the controls. How would we differentiate a shake from target selecting motions while the player was in a maraca-shaking frenzy? We came up with a few possible solutions to the problem, but in the end the solution we stuck with was a system that took into account the intended target for the note and the target that the player had currently selected. If those two matched and the player shook at the right time (as the note indicator reaches the target), it would be interpreted as shaking instead of target selection.

[-gonzo-]

I think the reviews have been pretty harsh.

Got mine yesturday so have had some time playing with it.

Yes there is an issue with some of the recognition, but there is no way this makes the game unplayable as I got an A rank on hard mode which if you take notice of the reviews this is an impossible thing to achieve.

In career im now on Super hard mode.

I actually think this Wii version is easier than the Dreamcast versions on Hard mode.

One of the reasons for this is that they have taken away for the need of getting Perfect A on the Hard challenges. Instead you just have to get above a C rank to clear the levels.

I highly recommend that if you have played the Dreamcast versions is to forget how the maracas worked and treat this like your playing a brand new game so for newbies and Dreamcast veterans alike you need to have a quick go of the traing mode as it gets you used to how the controls work.

Once you learn how the controlls work then this game becomes so much more enjoyable.

[Hero-of-Time]

I have went on a shopping spree today on Wii and DS games and I picked this up, impressions will follow shortly....

 

EDIT: Well after a bit of playtime I have quite mixed feelings about it. I have played through the easy career and got A ranks on everything but as I said its on easy.

Im using the 2 wiimotes setup and at the start the game really couldnt keep up that well with my actions. The right hand wiimote just wouldnt register the top target in time and I had to go and calibrate it in the options. Eventually I found a nice setup up and things started to work quite well.

 

I think the key is to not make big movements but control the game with your wrists. Also when doing the side movements I found shaking them left to right worked better than trying to posistion it and then shake up and down. I started to rack up 100+ combos after I did this but it still isnt perfect.

 

I will give normal mode a try tomorrow and see if the wiimotes can keep up with that.

[Surly]

I've got to say, this video sums up the game perfectly. I can't post it since, i'm new, but i've been lurking around here for a while now.

When I first started Hard, I just couldn't get it right. After practice I'm now getting through them very well. You just have to practise and keep at it, which I feel many reviewers didn't. They just saw that it got a lot harder and blamed it completely on the controls, which aren't by any means perfect, but do the job.

 

[darksnowman]

Welcome aboard Surly. You can add in Youtube videos directly into posts if you want so I edited yours in for you seeing as you can't yet post links.

[Hellfire]

Welcome surly and thanks! I've read other people saying the game's good it just has a high learning curve and cant be played like the old one. This just proves that many if not most reviewers don't take the time to really play games an review them fairly. This would benefit from motion+ though

[Surly]

Welcome aboard Surly. You can add in Youtube videos directly into posts if you want so I edited yours in for you seeing as you can't yet post links.

 

Hi! Yeah, thanks for that.

 

 

 

Welcome surly and thanks! I've read other people saying the game's good it just has a high learning curve and cant be played like the old one. This just proves that many if not most reviewers don't take the time to really play games an review them fairly. This would benefit from motion+ though

 

The game would definetly benefit from motion plus, but i'm quite amazed at the reviews saying that the controls are completely broken. You do really just have to give it some time and practise and it comes.

[Beast]

I picked this game up about three days ago. I'm playing it with the Wiimote and the Nunchuk and at the moment, I haven't had a major problem with the control recognitions. I've had about 1 or 2 encounters where it misses but it's not so big a problem that I can't play the game. I've started Hard mode last night so I'm going to play some more today. It is a great game though.

[dazzybee]

Got the game for xmas and I really like it, though there are times when it doesn't recognise which is REALLY disappointing. It's when you move from one to the other fast, especially TO the middle one; though I find that if you flick the first one to the side it usually does good.

 

It's a fun game and when it works it;s great, I think it may be a game you have to learn how to play though. I hope I can start nailing it though as I want it to be amazing!!

[Ashley]

Yeah it took me a while to get used to it. Having played it in a while so I may be incorrect but I believe it doesn't register you moving in the direction, but rather you shake in that location...or the other way round.

 

Basically try it either: making a clear movement in the direction (I find the middle ones are the most awkward)

shaking in that area (ie just above your head, at your side etc)

[Diageo]

Don't accelerometers just tell velocity and not it's place in space?

[Ashley]

If so the first one then. I think it was that, you don't so much have to shake at your sides, but fling the controller in that direction.

[Tellyn]

It's strange though, NGamer said that the preview build before the review copy had perfect controls. In their review they said they struggled to get it to recognise mid-shakes, and that progressing successfully was made harder due to the faulty controls on higher difficulties. I don't understand what Gearbox changed between the preview builds and the final version to cock up the controls.

 

Tphi went to SEGA to play it, I don't think he had any trouble at all with getting it to recognise certain shakes either.

[That Guy]

I've practiced a while with it and it's starting to come to me now. I played on medium difficulty and got perfect 100% so the controls can't be that terrible. The only ones I find at all difficult to get are the top ones as sometimes it doesn't recognise I'm tilting up quick enough. I've never had a problem with the middle ones at all.

[tapedeck]

After a certain someone here was saying how awesome this was recently, I picked this up as I saw it for £12 in ASDA. With my staff discount a tenner for this was A-OK by me.

 

Must say it's a riot in multiplayer and a 'fun-time' game . I firmly believe that it should only be played with dual wii-motes though as it makes the whole experience a more tactile, responsive and believable experience.

But yeah, I can't believe this was slated. There are a few teensy control gripes on the harder difficulties but in reality this doesn't distract from what is a great title. It's fine, it sounds and looks unique and special and it has more energy than a 5yr old. Plus it is coated in love and care. Take that NiGHTS!

 

A great title for anyone's collection. Especially if you see it cheap.

 

Here is ANOTHER title that seemed to get lower than average review scores as reviewers didn't spend the time to really get to grips with the controls. Similar to what we are still seeing in the gaming press today. Oh well.

[nekunando]

I may be wrong but I'm sure I read this was £4.99 on Play.com.. and, actually, I just checked and it is

 

Samba De Amigo (£4.99)

 

It was my girlfriend who got me this as part of my Christmas present as we thought it might be fun to play together

 

I played it again at the weekend (I was about 40% through the Career Mode) and played it to completion in a couple of sittings (..well.. standings.. and shakings )

 

I found the game pretty fun and would certainly recommend it for £4.99 but I can see that if you wanted to go for perfect scores it would be a very frustrating experience as the controls seem to be too unresponsive on the harder difficulties where you have to change position quickly

 

Having experienced problems with the controls (perhaps even more so with the Wii Remote than the Nunchuk, strangely..) I managed to make it through Super Hard only having to repeat one song once (and that is because I thought it was over and forgot to 'pose' ). The rankings were mainly C but I was generally happy to make it to the end of the song most times

 

I can see myself going back to some of the easier modes to try to get better rankings, but I doubt if I could really improve on the harder difficulties

[tapedeck]

Yeah for 4.99 it's a MUST BUY! Geez, what's with SO many awesome Wii games being DIRT cheap and yet people (and gamers) still don't buy them?! I've got mates who won't even try Madworld and it's £15 in most places and titles like De Blob, Boom Blox, Samba, Okami and even titles like HoTD are dead cheap. And yet they STILL won't take the risk.

 

Wierd.

[nekunando]

Yeah for 4.99 it's a MUST BUY! Geez, what's with SO many awesome Wii games being DIRT cheap and yet people (and gamers) still don't buy them?! I've got mates who won't even try Madworld and it's £15 in most places and titles like De Blob, Boom Blox, Samba, Okami and even titles like HoTD are dead cheap. And yet they STILL won't take the risk.

 

Wierd.

 

I certainly plan on picking up House of the Dead: Overkill when I complete a few more games and I have Okami and Madworld ready to play when I get some time

 

I have played De Blob briefly and Boom Blox a little in multiplayer but I don't really fancy picking them up myself If I had nothing else to play, they would probably be worth owning but I feel like I have other games that I would prefer to give my time to (Okami will probably take me ages )

 

I also wouldn't mind giving Dragon Quest Swords a go.. it has been £9.99 for a long time but I can't seem to justify it yet thanks to The Pile™

Edited June 10, 2009 by nekunando

[RedShell]

Yeah for 4.99 it's a MUST BUY!

Yup, I've just ordered it from Play.

 

Despite being very interested in it initially, I never got it as the soundtrack really put me off. Waaay too random, I mean, Tubthumping!? (no offence to any fans ) But what the hell is that song (and the others like it) doing in the game?

 

It should have been an exclusively Latin soundtrack, and good Latin like Tito Puente and Perez Prado, not cheese like Ricky Martin and Las Ketchup.

Can't really blame SEGA though, they wanted it to appeal to the masses after all.

 

Anyway, for a fiver I'll definitely check it out. Will probably keep it sealed until the buzz from Grand Slam Tennis is over though.

[Fierce_LiNk]

My friend bought this and I recently tried it and loved it. There are some control issues here and there, but the way this game was slated is really something. Do reviewers just spend 5 minutes, waggle with huge overblown gestures, slate it, and do the same with the next Wii game? It's a shame that so many people have been put off by reviews.

 

I'm definitely getting this, although my main priority is getting my teaching job sorted for next year. I don't feel like I could properly sit down and enjoy a game like this just yet when I have that on my mind. Ine wants to buy this for me, but I said she can only get it as a present for getting that job, haha.

 

To anyone who is on the fence: Just buy it. Chances are you won't regret it. And, if you do...it's only a few quid.

[Tellyn]

I bought it a while ago for a tenner but didn't play much of it beyond a quick blast, my hand-eye coordination was atrocious. I can definitely see this working better with MotionPlus, but only if two Remotes are in use... The Nunchuk kind of lets things down.

 

cheese like Ricky Martin

 

TAKE THAT BACK!!!