Apple Arcade to Feature Samba de Amigo Game This Month

Sega’s beloved rhythm game franchise, Samba de Amigo, is making a comeback this year with a new installment arriving on both Apple platforms and Nintendo Switch simultaneously. Additionally, a VR version for Meta Quest, which was announced in early June, is set to be released sometime this autumn.

“Shake it with your maracas and create 40 hit songs from the world’s most popular genres,” reads the game’s App Store description. Exclusive songs for the Apple version include Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory,” Psy’s “Daddy” (of “Gangnam Style” fame), and Fitz and the Tantrums’ “The Walker.” The name of the Apple Arcade version, Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go, emphasizes its portable nature. The Switch version is called Samba de Amigo: Party Central, while the Meta Quest version is simply Samba de Amigo.

Neither Sega nor Apple have said much about how the details of the game may differ between the Apple variant and other platforms, other than that the Apple Arcade version will exclusively feature the series’ first story mode. “Start an adventure with Amigo to restore lost music to the world,” it says.

Apple Arcade subscribers can shake it up with Samba on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. The App Store listing doesn’t say exactly how the controls work, but using the phone as a faux maraca (with touchscreen controls as a spare) would be a logical guess. (However, it mentions that external controllers are also supported.) The Switch version uses Joy-Cons, and the Quest version relies on touch controllers.

Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go hits the App Store on August 29. Apple Arcade costs $5 per month after a one-month free trial, and none of its games have in-app purchases. The Switch version, which will also be released on the 29th. August, is $40 and the Quest VR version is $30. You can brush up on your Dreamcast-era moves by watching the trailer for the Switch version below.