Conga Master Party

We've all been there - you're at a party or a club, you want to start a conga line, but nobody wants to join in. If this has been you, then developer Undercoders has your back, as their game Conga Master Party for the Nintendo Switch is every conga-lovers delight, as it allows you to take to virtual parties and get the longest conga lines imaginable.

The premise is simple - you control one party-goer from a top-down perspective, and by using L and R to rotate your aim while moving, you dance near people until they join your line (indicated by a bar above their head). Simple. Once you get a few people going, all you have to do is make sure your line is near someone to get them on board too, meaning you can snake your way around loads of people to get them all in the spirit. More people joining in a short space of times means combos, and this in turn keeps your momentum going. When this reaches zero, though, the party's over.

There are a few other things to bear in mind as you're worming your way through the dance floor though. For instance, powerups will be littered on objects, and to access these you'll need to use L and R together to dash into them and knock them off. Also, people don't like being pushed, so avoid that, and avoid the pigs as well, because for some reason pigs don't make for very good conga-goers.

There's multiple modes to choose from, including a Story Mode (in the loosest sense of the term). Here you go from one location to another starting conga lines, but there's a catch - you have to get a certain number of four different types of dancers to join your line before you can move onto the next location. Between places there's even a little running minigame where a UFO abducts members of your line as you run forward and jump over pigs, giving you dollars which you can then spend on a roulette wheel for bonuses like powerups and new characters... we don't get it either.

Then there's the Endless Mode, which sees you take to one of the levels without powerups or other requisites. It's just you and your conga line, dancing until you can't go on, regardless of who wants to join. As you can imagine, this is more about beating a high score than progression.

There are various multiplayer minigames on top of all this single-player fun, including one called Mortal Konga, where you have to recruit pigs to your conga line and then pop your opponents' bubbles, and another where you have to work together to make the longest conga line, which is called - wait for it - Command and Conga. There are many more of these games, all with great punny titles, and with up to four players able to join in the fun this makes for some great light entertainment.

Picking your character is vital when starting off, because each has different stats. For example, if one character is good at attracting others, this will certainly be useful for getting a big line going, but it may come at a price, such as turning speed, which is needed for slithering in between people and avoiding environmental obstacles like banana skins (who's bringing bananas to parties anyway?). The characters are more than just cosmetic changes, then, as it's all about this balance.

As with many dance-related games, there's a great soundtrack to go along with Conga Master Party, with each different location having its own special soundtrack. We prefer the first one the best, as we still find ourself humming it from time to time, but all are upbeat and help get you in the conga spirit, whether it be at the Roller Disco, Conga Burger, Secret Flamingo, or any of the other places you can unlock, of which there are nine in total.

It's the simplicity that's really the appeal of Conga Master Party. We won't lie, the first time we played it we questioned what we were doing and why were we doing it, as it felt a bit akward circling round one guy to get him to join a two-man conga line, but once you get going and the line grows and the momentum bar is ever-decreasing, you really do get into it, especially in story mode where you just need that one stubborn person to get on board so you can move onto the next level. It's a classic 'just one more turn' game, but one that doesn't demand too much from you: just left, and right, and a bit of attention.

The same simplicity may be the game's downfall for many in terms of longevity though. Once you've completed story mode and all your friends go home after playing the minigames, there's not much reason to pick it back up unless you're really committed to beating your high scores. Some might find endless fun with conga-ing round the levels, but you get to know these locations pretty quickly, and there's nothing new to see each time.

Regardless, we had a lot of fun with Conga Master Party during our time playing it on the Switch, especially to pass a few minutes here and then with a quick dance session, and although there might not be a huge amount of content to keep people going long after they've seen everything, it's still simplistic fun for all the family.