"A game for those who love hamsters"

Hamsterz 2 is about looking after your own hamster, without having to clean out a real one and put up with it going noisily around its wheel at night.

This game is pretty realistic. You have a hamster which you have to give food and water, clean out and play with. You can see it playing with the toys in its cage or happily munching food.

There are a few different pet games out there, all with different cute animals and Hamsterz is no exception.

This game is a very simple idea, but can be hours of fun if you like this type of game. Some of it is repetitive, but that is hardly surprising as you need to keep your pet alive and well which means having to do the food and the water daily. This game can be enjoyed by anyone and is very simple to use, made even easier by the touch screen.

Gameplay:

If you love the other pet games or just love hamsters then you'll probably love this game. This game is the most fun when you first get it, but after that it can get a bit repetitive and boring. This is because the main thing you are doing is filling up the food and water and petting your hamster every so often and you should do this daily. Watching your hamster play never really gets boring though, whether it is watching it run over a bridge or crawling through a tunnel, and the hamsters often run around their cage.

While the main part of the game is caring for your pet it isn't the only thing to do. You can buy many different items and items can be unlocked. You can also go to other people who have hamsters, which gives your hamster a chance to play with other hamsters. If your friends have the game you can also go wireless which adds another interesting feature to the game.

If you don't just want to pet your hamster and visit others then you can always play the mini games. You have to unlock them, but it gives you something else to play for and a reason to continue playing.

If you are expecting to be able to dress your pet up or anything then this probably isn't the game for you. The only accessories are ones that help you look after your pet (cleaner, toys and so on). This game is realistic and expects you to just put the hamster in a cage and look after it like a real hamster.

There is nothing really difficult about this game and the menu is simple to use. There are a few things that may take a while to work out, such as changing cages or having babies (another feature to the game which is likely to keep you playing), but nothing is actually that difficult to do, it is just a case of knowing how.

Controlling everything is easy as you can use the stylus. The touch screen is something that really makes this game what it is and it is easy to just touch the screen and flick through the menu or pet your hamster.

7/10

Graphics:

There isn't really much to say as far as graphics go – it looks pretty realistic. The hamsters look and move like real hamsters and the objects look how they should. You can even see the room behind the cage – it may not look very realistic but it is a nice touch.

8/10

Sound:

There aren't many sounds in the game. You can hear the hamster every so often, but they don't really seem to make that much noise and the music tends to drown it out. There is music that plays all the time and sound effects as you go through the menu and select things. The music and sound effects can get annoying though, but you can always turn the volume off. It doesn't make any difference to playing the game.

2/10

Play Time/Replayability:

The game never really ends which means you can continue to play the game for as long as you like. Once you get so far the game just isn't as interesting though but you can restart the game and play it again. There are a few slightly different things in the game so playing it again can make it more interesting.

You can also do mini games which adds to the amount of time you are likely to spend playing the game.

6/10

Overall:

Overall I would give this game a 7/10.

There are a few nice features in this game and if you don't have the room or time for a real hamster than this game is the way to go. There are good points and bad points to this game and it all depends on the type of game you want to play. If it is a realistic game you are looking for then this is a great game.

I'd say if you love hamsters or looking after animals then you'll probably love this game and it is worth buying. If you are unsure or know that you'll get bored of it then it may be worth renting it instead.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/08

Game Release: Hamsterz 2 (EU, 11/09/07)