Pop Buzz UK

I’m so stoked right now as I’ve just found out that Samba De Amigo is coming to the Wii. WooHoo!

You may have missed out on this gem of a party game when it was originally released on the Dreamcast in 1999 but it’s now coming to the Nintendo Wii and I for one can’t wait.

We all know by now what the fate of the unfortunate Dreamcast was, as Sega’s last foray in to the games hardware market ended in failure and huge losses for the company. One of the unfortunate consequences of this was that so many people missed out on some classic games, one of which was Samba De Amigo.

Now, with Sega cuddling up to Nintendo in a match seemingly made in heaven, the maraca shaking party game will finally reach a bigger audience as it gets a brand new release on the Wii next year.

The game was originally developed by Sonic team, those purveyors of every piece of gaming goodness this side of Sonic The Hedgehog, but will now be ported over by Gearbox, the guys behind many a first person shooter.

Let’s hope they don’t screw this conversion up as it stands a chance of being a must buy, and yet another reason for people to buy a Wii.

For those who have never had the pleasure of playing Samba De Amigo, it’s basically a rhythm action game but instead of jumping about on a dance mat like a loon, you shake your maracas (not a euphemism) like a loon.

The original arcade and Dreamcast versions were bundled with a pair of maracas, but whether the Wii version will just use the motion sensitive remote and nunchuk instead remains to be seen.

The Nintendo Wii is rapidly becoming the next generation console of choice, especially for retro fans seeking classic games that have been re imagined. We are already looking forward to Sega’s NiGHTS and now another cult classic is making its way to the console.

Nintendo may not have the marketing muscle or deep pockets of Sony and Microsoft but it seems that they have the games which are exciting real gamers.

Now, I’m just off to dust my Dreamcast down and settle in for a session of retro gaming heaven, join me?

Dreamcast, Nintendo, Wii, Samba De Amigo, Sonic The Hedgehog, Gearbox, Arcade, Sega, NiGHTS, Sony, Microsoft, UK