On the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, Nintendo published a series of games in the Hamtaro series. Well, the company let those little furballs fly after the Nintendo DS was released, and now the Hamtaro characters are under Natsume's wing. The latest Hamtaro adventure, developed by Marvelous, is, believe it or not, a much younger-skewing game than the previous handheld iterations of the series.
Hamtaro on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance was a guilty pleasure for IGN, but even they realize that this game is far too young for a seasoned gamer. But at the very least they can see how this game will appeal to the Under 10 crowd – if you're looking for a fun, easy game that'll give your kid a good sense of accomplishment, Hi! Hamtaro Ham-Ham Challenge is a decent one to pick up.
Presentation - 7.5
Graphics - 7.0
Sound - 7.0
Gameplay - 7.5
Lasting Appeal - 5.0
Overall -
Hamtaro is a cute hamster with lots of hamster friends. Originally a Japanese children's book, Hamtaro was introduced to movies and television around the world, and, of course, made into video games and toys. GameZone never watched Hamtaro much (due to my being too cheap to pay for a cable lineup featuring the Cartoon Network), but we enjoyed the GBA games, especially Ham-Ham Heartbreak.
Unlike previous Hamtaro games on handheld systems, Hi! Hamtaro Ham-Ham Challenge is designed primarily for very young players. It is essentially a collection of light "edutainment" games, which focus on critical thinking skills, creativity, recall and counting. There are 12 activities in all.
Gameplay 6
Graphics 7.5
Sound 7
Difficulty Medium
Concept 6
Overall 6.0
This is the perfect way to learn why millions of people around the world enjoy this hobby, and it's a great game to track your child's early cognitive development. Everyone else will find the game far too easy for them, and will probably only enjoy the amazing cuteness and graphics. Still, Ham Ham Challenge really is a great game and Alphadream deserves a big thumb's up for making yet another superb title featuring the Ham-Hams.
