spatialcomputing.info

Believe it or not, SEGA isn’t new to VR. After all, the Japanese gaming giant did create (and then cancel) its own VR headset in the early ’90s. While the company has undoubtedly changed over the years, now it seems SEGA is ready to jump back into virtual reality with its very first in-house developed VR game: Samba de Amigo.

Initially launched in Japanese arcades in December 1999, and later on Dreamcast in 2000, Samba de Amigo is getting an immersive overhaul, putting the maracas in your hands as you grove to 40 hit songs from the world’s most popular genres and artists.

You can count on tracks from Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Ricky Martin, Bon Jovi, Ariana Grande, and more. SEGA says more are music is coming in post-launch DLC too.

Samba de Amigo is arriving both with local single player and multiplayer ‘World Party’ mode, coming alongside the ability to post your rank on online leaderboards. You’ll also be able to customize your character, SEGA says, including unique costumes and accessories.

Here’s how the studio describes the action:

Get ready to shake your maracas when Samba de Amigo comes to VR this fall. Colorful and cute, SEGA’s original Samba de Amigo music rhythm game became a phenomenon when it hit arcades in 1999—and became one of the best reasons to own a Sega Dreamcast a year later.

Now, more than two decades later, an all-new entry in the Samba de Amigo series feels like a natural fit for VR. Dance along to hit songs from the world’s top genres with your monkey-friend Amigo, strike a pose or two, and make your day a little brighter.

Samba de Amigo is coming to Quest 2 and Quest Pro sometime in Fall 2023, with its Store page launching today. There’s no indication when it’s precisely set to arrive, although a flatscreen version for Nintento Switch using the device’s Joy-Con controllers is coming August 28th, 2023, so it may follow closely afterwards.