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Why Robin Makes Batman Better In our previous encounters with Sega, reps have told us that they were “thinking” about maraca controllers for the Wii version of Samba de Amigo. They’re “looking into it,” they say. Well, if this box art from UK retailer HMV is right, they’re pretty much a lock. Dug up by GoNintendo, the included maracas appear to be sleeve-style attachments, not dedicated controllers similar to the ones Sega shipped alongside the Dreamcast version of Samba.
HMV is currently listing the game and maraca combo for £34.99 (about $AU 72.91 USD). We’ve contacted Sega to find out more and have expressed our genuine excitement, hoping that they’ll get back to us sooner rather than later.
Samba De Amigo: Including Maracas [HMV via GoNintendo]
Lets get to what everyone is thinking first: No the Wii version of Samba de Amigo shown this week did not have Maraca-shaped Wii remotes. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t coming.
In fact a rep told us that they are looking into a “Maraca sleeve” for the remote and even spoken with some manufacturers about it.
In the game, for those of you not familiar, you take on one of several colorful characters dancing and playing the maracas to music. The rhythm game is played by shaking the remote and nunchuk in time to the music while making sure they are in one of three positions: above your head, at your waist or held pointing down.
So the Wii can’t do DLC, Harmonix & Neversoft? Maybe it can. It just needs to involve monkeys, and a couple of maracas. Pictured at left is the box art for the upcoming Wii version of classic Dreamcast rhythm title Samba De Amigo. If you squint real hard, and look in the top-left corner, you’ll see a little red logo. That’s the Wii’s new “Pay To Play” logo, meaning that (if this isn’t some strange Photoshopping mistake) at some stage, you’ll be given the opportunity to pay more to play a little more. This being a music title probably means you’ll be able to download new tracks/levels/monkeys/sombreros, but die-hards, don’t let me stop you from dreaming it’ll be a patch to allow Dreamcast maraca use. Samba De Amigo [GameStop, via TurtleSnatcher @ NeoGAF]
Sega is revitalising one of its most endeared and niche properties with Samba de Amigo for the Wii, handing of development to Gearbox Studios and trading in expensive, dedicated and unreliable maraca peripherals for a pair of Wii controllers. The Wii version can utilise either a nunchuk-and-Wii-mote combo or, preferably, a dual Wii Remote set up. The latter scheme feels more natural and, if Gearbox Studios gets force feedback and proper embedded speaker output working, potentially more authentic.
But how true to the original will Sega’s casual-friendly music game ultimately be?
The president of Gearbox Software, Randy Pitchford, has already put the hype train into motion for their next unannounced title today, seeking a senior artist for a project so massive that “when you find out what this is, you’ll likely agree that I can’t oversell this one.” A currently open job listing at the Gearbox official site reads “trust us, it’s huge”, pointing to a “megaton” AAA release. So what are they working on?
Know this: Hot Tears of Shame is equal opportunity. Hot Tears of Shame doesn’t care if it’s featuring jubblies or ding-dongs — just as long as it’s embarrassing or shameful. We’ve got two HTOS clips to prove just that! One involves a fat dude in his underwear playing Samba De Amigo, and the other features a naked woman playing Wii Sports. But since we’ve already seen naked women playing Wii Sports (so old!), we recommend checking out the fat dude’s man boobs first. What’s more, the naked lady clip (starring Penthouse Pet Shay Laren) doesn’t really feature that much gaming. We feel kinda ripped off. There is real bowling, though. Oh, both clips aren’t sorta Not Safe For Work, they’re TOTALLY Not Safe For Work.
Hit the jump for the shameful and embarrassing clips.
By Brian Ashcraft
“Thing I love about Kotaku is that you just don’t care,” says Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford. (Not sure if we don’t care per se, but rather, that we care a little too much.) It’s a few days before Christmas, and he is showing me around Gearbox’s Texas HQ that occupies the top four floors of a suburban Dallas high-rise. Pitchford is open and upfront. Want to take a picture of a wall with concept art? Sure. The dev opened up its doors and showed us pretty much everything it could. Gearbox, best known for the Brothers in Arms series and the Halo: Combat Evolved PC port, is poised for a breakout year in 2008 when the company brings Dreamcast title Samba de Amigo to the Wi, puts out original FPS Borderlands and a new entry into the Brothers in Arms tactical shooter series. With its pedigree Borderlands makes perfect sense. But Samba?
Samba Di Amigo on the Wii is good news, no matter how many times it has to be announced. Things are rarely all good, however. It’s just how life is. And so it is with Samba. See, a big part of the fun on the Dreamcast original was that you had actual maracas. And maracas are only the best shaking-based instrument ever. Sadly, Sega have no plans to sell plans to sell maraca controllers for the Wii version, saying: The Wii’s controllers enable players to enjoy Samba De Amigo’s unique gameplay without having to purchase an expensive peripheral.
What, so the one superfluous peripheral for the Wii we’re not going to get is the only one we actually want? Figures. No Maraca Peripheral for Samba de Amigo [IGN]
While Samba De Amigo for the Wii was confirmed as far back as a month ago, we all know that a game isn’t really official until there’s a press release. Now, Sega has given us that press release, along with a picture of a monkey holding a Wiimote, which, in my opinion, is postworthy in and of itself. Gamers will be shaking their Wiimote and nunchuk in time with the beat as if they were maracas. I’m guessing the Wiimote speaker will be used to making shaking noises, though making them yourself is much more fun. In the coming months, Sega will reveal the soundtrack and special features leading up to the game’s release in the Spring. For now, a big picture of a monkey is all yours.
Talk about a perfect fit. First rumored, then seemingly confirmed by a scan of a Nintendo Power cover, and now officially confirmed by 1UP through Sega of America, the delicious taste of monkeys and maracas will once again grace our television video game playing device as Samba de Amigo is coming to the Wii. The game is being developed by Gearbox Software of Brothers in Arms fame, so you know they’ll do an excellent job with the World War II firefights, should they choose to include any. Somehow I doubt it. More info should be coming down the pipe on the triumphant return of musical monkey mayhem soon.
Confirmed: Samba de Amigo Coming to Wii [1UP - Thanks Jasu, ya Jerk]
