Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!

"Tons of fun for a gamer of any age"

Hamha! (That means hello.) Thinking of getting into the video game world of Hamtaro but not sure it’s for you? Think your child would like the game but want to know more about it? Are you a big Ham-Ham and need to know more about this game? Well then sit back and read.

Story
First off, the story is not that complicated. You play as the cute little hamster named Hamtaro and you need to reunite your friends. Pretty simple. You don’t need to be a fan of the show to understand this game. The story is pretty weak and lacks the fun of the show. Hamtaro helps Laura or wants to do what she does and does it in a hamster way. Even though this factor is missing, the game is still good.

Gameplay
The best part of the game! I can just sit and play this game, running around and having fun. This game is cute and simple and it is great. The basic gameplay is that you, as Hamtaro, are trying to reunite the Ham-Hams as stated before. In order to do this you have to talk to other hamsters BUT to do this you need to use the hamster lingo called Ham-Chat. You start with the basics and go off to make the world a happier place. Using your Ham-Chat you befriend other hamsters, help them and they will teach you new words. You do this over and over again. Sounds annoying but it is not since a lot of times you can not do one thing unless you finish helping certain hamsters. Add in fun mini games to this and you’re all set. I should add to though the Ham-Jam and dress up features. They’re supposed to add an extra kick to the game but don’t do much and have nothing to do with the story.

Graphics
Amazingly good for the system that the game is on. Maybe because the graphics look very much like the show and they convert well to the GameBoy Color. The best part of the graphics is watching the hamsters acting out the Ham-Chat. They wiggle, dance, and lift arms and all adding to the cute factor of the game. The only downside to the graphics is the fact that all the hamsters are not well drawn. Hamtaro and his friends look great but everyone else looks pretty generic.

Sound
Nothing wrong here. The music is catchy and cute especially if you want to play around with Ham-Jam mode. The best thing is that the hamsters make noise. Along with acting out a certain Ham-Chat word they may also make a very cute sound to go along with it.

Playtime
Pretty short, the game does not last that long. Actually, if you sit and play the game non-stop you can finish it in one day. This is a pity in such a fun game.

Replay Factor
The replay factor of this game is pretty low. Once you save all the Ham-Hams, get all the Ham-Chat words (which is not easy) and do the other minor bonus things they give you they game is pretty much over and not worth playing again. Nothing changes the next time you play so have fun with it as long as you can.

Scores
Story – 5
Gameplay – 9
Graphics – 9
Sound – 9
Playtime – 5
Replay Factor – 4
Overall – 7

Closing Thoughts
Do you buy or rent this game? Well, it is totally up to you. The game does not cost that much so buying is not that much of a loss but since it is so short you might just want to rent and return it. No matter what you do, you should play this game. It is not as kiddy as it looks, it is actually a cartridge full of fun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/04