Hamtaro (video game series)

Hamtaro is a series of video games based on the Hamtaro anime series.

Hamtaro
Genre(s)Adventure game / Educational game
Developer(s)Nintendo, Pax Softnica, AlphaDream, Sega Toys
Publisher(s)Nintendo / Marvelous Interactive, The Learning Company, Scholastic Natsume, 505 Games
Platform(s)Game Boy Color, Sega Pico, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Nintendo DS, iOS
First releaseTottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu
  • JP: September 8, 2000
Latest releaseHamtaro: Little Hamsters, Big Adventures
  • NA: April 12, 2011

Games

Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu

Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu[lower-alpha 1] was a pet simulation game released in Japan for the Game Boy Color in 2000.

It was the ninth best selling game on the Game Boy Color platform in Japan, with 343,950 copies sold.[1]

Ham-Hams Unite!
Main article: Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!

Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite![lower-alpha 2] is a Hamtaro adventure video game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 2001, and was later released in North America on October 28, 2002, and in Europe on January 10, 2003. It was the last game officially released for the Game Boy Color in Europe. It was the seventh best selling Game Boy Color game in Japan, with 497,061 copies sold.[1]

The player (Hamtaro) is controlled by the D-pad, and holding down the B button allows the player to run. Pressing A will open a dialogue box with different Ham-chat words depending on context. For instance, standing next to a sunflower seed and selecting "hif-hif" will pick up the seed, while standing next to an NPC and selecting "Hamha" will open a dialogue with the character. Different options will yield different outcomes, rolling (Tack-Q) into NPCs will usually elicit a negative response. Objects in the world can be interacted with, like climbing trees and pulling drawers open.

The player enters the Clubhouse and is directed by the Boss to round up the other hamsters.

Ham-Ham Heartbreak
Main article: Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak

Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak is a video game for Game Boy Advance developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo, as the sequel to Tottoko Hamutaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu and Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!. Therefore, it was the second Hamtaro game released in America and Europe, but the third one in Japan. It was released in Japan on May 3, 2002, in North America on April 8, 2003 and in Europe on June 27, 2003. After Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, only one more Hamtaro adventure game was released, which was Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.

Like its predecessors, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak is an adventure game. Set in the world of the Hamtaro books and anime, the player controls the hamster ("Ham-Ham", as the hamsters tend to call themselves) Hamtaro. The game expands on the gameplay of the earlier titles by adding Bijou, a friend of Hamtaro who has a crush on him, as partner. Together, they have to save the other ham-hams from Spat, an evil hamster with a hatred for any kind of relation.

Wake Up Snoozer!
Developer(s)ImaginEngine
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Mac OS
Release2003
Genre(s)Educational game
Mode(s)Single-player

Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! is a 2003 educational game for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It is the only Hamtaro game to be released for PC/Macintosh.

Hamtaro and his friends play minigames to wake up Snoozer. The minigames are child-oriented. The game includes special features to work with the Ham-Hams such as: Hamtaro, Bijou, Panda, Howdy, Dexter, Pashmina, Boss, and Oxnard. And options to return to clubhouse, and more.

Rainbow Rescue
Main article: Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue

Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue[lower-alpha 3] is a video game developed by AlphaDream for Game Boy Advance and the sequel to Tottoko Hamutaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu, Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak. It was released in Japan and PAL regions, and was set to be released in North America, but it was cancelled. The series is based on the manga Hamtaro, written by Ritsuko Kawai.

The game involves an extensive plot. One day while playing outside, Bijou witnesses a great rainbow. The rainbow disappears and Prince Bo falls to the ground. The Prince states that he can make rainbows by using his umbrella. He tries to prove it to disbelieving Stan and the rest of the Ham-Hams, but realizes too late that the colors on his umbrella are gone. And thus, Hamtaro and his Ham-Ham friends must set off on a journey in order to collect things that are the proper color for Prince Bo to use for his umbrella so he can create a rainbow to return home.

Certain minigames are needed to reach the colors, and the player must have certain Ham-Hams in their party in order to play them. For example, Sandy is needed to ride pigeons, Bijou is needed to collect falling petals, and Penelope is needed for rolling on top of cans to get across small streams. In addition to the original Ham-Hams, the game contains some additional characters, most of which were never seen in the English anime. These include Prince Bo, who is the prince of Rainbowland (a castle that is made of clouds); Flora, or Nurse-Ham; Tux; and other various characters.

In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two eights and two sevens for a total of 30 out of 40.[2]

Ham-Ham Games
Developer(s)AlphaDream
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Chihiro Fujioka
Takahiro Murakami
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Kenji Miki
Tetsuo Mizuno
Designer(s)Hiroshi Nonaka
Takashi Arai
Yuichi Nakagawa
Masaki Tanaka
Jun Iwasaki
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: July 15, 2004
  • PAL: July 16, 2004
  • NA: July 27, 2004
Genre(s)Sports game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games[lower-alpha 4] is a sports video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on July 15, 2004, in Europe on July 16, 2004, and in North America on July 27, 2004.

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, two eights, and one seven for a total of 30 out of 40.[4]

Question Castle in the Clouds

Tottoko Hamtaro: Nazo Nazo Q Kumonoue no ? Jou[lower-alpha 5] was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan in 2005.

Ham-Ham Training
Hi Hamtaro! Ham-Ham Training
Developer(s)AlphaDream
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: March 15, 2007
  • PAL: May 23, 2008
  • NA: September 23, 2008
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Hi Hamtaro! Ham-Ham Training,[lower-alpha 6] known as Hi! Hamtaro Ham-Ham Challenge in North America, is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS made by AlphaDream and published by Marvelous in Japan, 505 Games in PAL regions, and Natsume in North America. It is a sequel to Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue (which was never released in America), Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games, and the Japan-only Tottoko Hamtaro Nazonazo Q: Question Castle in the Clouds, and is based on the anime series Hamtaro. The game was released in Japan on March 15, 2007, in Europe on May 23, 2008 and in North America on September 23, 2008.

iOS

Hamtaro: Little Hamsters, Big Adventures was released for iOS in 2011.

Notes
  1. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎: ともだち大作戦でちゅ
  2. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎2 ハムちゃんず大集合でちゅ Hepburn: Tottoko Hamutarou 2 - Hamu-chanzu Daishuugou Dechu
  3. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎4 にじいろ大行進でちゅ Hepburn: Tottoko Hamtaro 4: Nijiiro Daikoushin Dechu
  4. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎 ハムハムスポーツ Hepburn: Tottoko Hamutarou: Hamu-Hamu Sports
  5. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎 ナゾナゾQ 雲の上の？城, lit. Tottoko Hamtaro Nazonazo Q: Question Castle in the Clouds
  6. Japanese: とっとこハム太郎 は～い! ハムちゃんずのハムハムチャレンジ! あつまれは～い! Hepburn: Tottoko Hamutarou Haai! Hamuchanzu no Hamuhamu Charenji! Atsumare Haai!, lit. "Tottoko Hamtaro, Okay! The Hamchans' Ham-Ham Challenge! Let's Get Together, Okay!

References
  1. "【GBC20周年企画(2)】いちばん売れたゲームボーイカラー専用ソフトは『遊☆戯☆王DM4』！ では2位は？ GBC専用ソフト販売ランキングTOP10！". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2018-10-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  2. Yoshinoya, Bakudan (May 19, 2003). "Famitsu Update". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  3. "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  4. "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". Famitsu. Vol. 814. July 23, 2004.
  5. Rice Burner (August 2, 2004). "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  6. Theobald, Phil (July 29, 2004). "GameSpy: Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 11, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  7. "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". GamesTM. September 2004. p. 114. Archived from the original on August 17, 2004. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  8. Hollingshead, Anise (August 1, 2004). "Gamezone Gameboy Reviews - Hamtaro Ham-Ham games". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  9. Harris, Craig (July 26, 2004). "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". IGN. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  10. "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". NGC Magazine. September 2004.
  11. "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". Nintendo Power. Vol. 183. September 2004. p. 116.
  12. Shughart, Ty (September 7, 2004). "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  13. Blackmore, Sîan (August 14, 2004). "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games". The Times. Retrieved July 29, 2017.(subscription required)
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