We love the Samba De Amigo game - very very much, but to enjoy playing it you need Wii Maracas. There are a few different kinds of Maracas for this Wii game out there & this is the 3rd (2nd set by DreamGear) we've purchased. A couple of things to keep in mind when choosing Wii Maracas:
- many, especially the less expensive varieties, are for the Wii Remote & NUNCHUCK only (no adapter for a 2nd Remote)... but if you have the extra Wii Remotes to use, the game is much better played with 2 Wii Remotes rather than the Nunchuck & Remote.
- There are Foam headed & Plastic headed Maracas: Plastic ones can be heavy (& some are big) for people with smaller hands & children, while the foam variety also add extra protection should the player get carried away with the game!. In addition, some of the plastic ones have lights in the head that light up with the shaking of the Maracas - can add to the fun, but also adds to the weight.
This pair are foam headed with adapters for use with both the Nunchuck or a 2nd Remote.
Pros: - They are quite light compared to DreamGEAR's other Maracas (ASIN B001HC09M4), a red plastic headed pair with lights (also requiring batteries that go in the heads & so add weight to them making those the heaviest of the Maracas available).
- The handles are slimmer & easier to grasp, great for smaller hands or children
- Foam heads add some protection for/from over eager players
Cons:
- Unfortunately they are cheaply made. The connection between the head & the remote cradle is very fragile. After using these just a few times (having received them less than a month ago) the cradle connection has already broken on one of the Remote cradles. If you do happen to have a pair of these or plan on ordering one: if you will only be using them with 2 Remotes I recommend putting glue into the joint between the cradle & head before it breaks. If already broken, just glue the 2 parts together. The only downside to this is that you'd no longer be able to switch the cradle for use with the Nunchuck (or vice versa)
- Not well balanced: seems the heads may be too light to give this pair of Maracas the right balance to help the player "hit the circles". Playing with this pair takes additional practice & can be quite frustrating at times... often feel like when the game is played with only the Remotes: your hands are hitting the spots but the Wii isn't recognizing it. We've had better playing experiences with the heavier pairs we've tired out.
**Note: depending on which seller you purchase these from, they may arrive an orange pair rather than the white currently pictures. If the color of the Maracas matters to you (i.e. different color for each child...), then you may wish to contact the seller before ordering to verify which color they have in stock.
Summary: Not much better than playing with the Wii Remotes only & due to the easy breaking probably best to save your money & stick with the remotes or spend more for the heavier duty one.
For a better playing experience I'd recommend the Speedlink Maracas (ASIN B001GR7JH8) (unfortunately currently unavailable at the time of this review) - they are my first choice (good combination of weight & size... a little heavy but sturdy), or DreamGEAR's other Maracas (ASIN B001HC09M4) which light up - they are too heavy for long play for myself, but do give a good arm workout!
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