Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!

Last updated

Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!
Hamtaro HamHams Unite.jpg
Game Boy Color cover art for Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!
Developer(s) Pax Softnica
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Mariko Yumoto
Producer(s) Shigeru Miyamoto
Kenji Miki
Masahiro Tatemoto
Designer(s) Tomoyuki Sumi
Composer(s) Satoko Yokota
Series Hamtaro
Platform(s) Game Boy Color
Release
  • JP: April 21, 2001
  • NA: October 28, 2002
  • EU: January 10, 2003
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! [lower-alpha 1] is an adventure video game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color handheld video game console. It is based on the Hamtaro anime and features much of the same characters. It launched in Japan in 2001, and later came to North America and Europe in 2002 and 2003 respectively. It was the final video game published on the Game Boy Color by Nintendo. Players control the hamster Hamtaro, who is tasked with gathering his friends and returning them to the clubhouse as well as collecting words missing from the Hamchat dictionary.

Contents

The game received generally positive reception, with reviewers such as IGN and Eurogamer noting its success as both a game for children and a game that could appeal to older audiences. It was the seventh best-selling game for the Game Boy Color in Japan. The successor of the 2000 Game Boy Color game Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu, it was followed by Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance which featured similar gameplay mechanics.

Gameplay and premise

Players can use dialogue options to have Hamtaro interact with characters and environments. The visuals were praised by critics. Ham-Hams Unite gameplay.png
Players can use dialogue options to have Hamtaro interact with characters and environments. The visuals were praised by critics.

Players control protagonist Hamtaro as they seek out the various members of his clubhouse and attempts to fill in the Hamchat dictionary. He is tasked to do this by Boss, who also teaches him basic Hamchat words. Several of the characters from the anime, such as Bijou and Oxnard, are featured in the game as characters Hamtaro must seek out. Players do this using the appropriate dialogue options to solve puzzles and appease other hamsters. Players have four Hamchat words as options by default: "Hamha" for talking, "Digdig" for digging, "Tack-Q" for tackling, and "Hif-Hif" for sniffing, all of which allow players to interact with characters and environments and may help progress the story. [1]

Hamchat words are accompanied by gestures. There are other words that players learn throughout the game that can be used in contextual situations. Characters may require words that are not yet available, indicated by question marks included in the dialogue choices, in order to fully interact with them. These words are unlocked by interacting with other characters. Sunflower seeds are a currency that can be exchanged for clothing items which Hamtaro can wear, which players can trade with each other using the Game Boy Color's infra-red port. The game features mini-games, including Ham-Jam where players can dance to the game's music using different Hamchat words, and Tack-Q Bowling. [1]

Development

Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! was developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 21, 2001, North America on October 28, 2002, and in Europe on January 10, 2003. It was the final video game released for the Game Boy Color by Nintendo. [2] French localizers made attempts to make the language options in the game as explicit as possible to help players learn. [3] It is a sequel to the 2000 Game Boy Color release Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu. [4] It was followed by Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak for the Game Boy Advance in 2003, which was also developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo and featured similar gameplay. [2]

Reception

Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! has received generally positive reception since its release. [5] It is the seventh best-selling Game Boy Color game in Japan, with 497,061 copies sold. [12] Nintendo Power praised it for its "clever and amusing" design. GamePro and X-Play expected it to be a success among children, with GamePro calling its gameplay "oddly compelling. [11] [8] [9] IGN found it to be original and engrossing for all ages, praising its visuals and animations relative to other Game Boy Color games. [1] Eurogamer similarly praised efforts to make the game appealing to all ages while also commending Nintendo for making a game about a language barrier. [6] Jeux Video praised the visuals and the dialogue mechanics, calling it amusing. It found the music lacking, suggesting that it and other Game Boy Color music would only appeal to a limited audience. [3] Famitsu felt that it was cute, though thought it may be difficult for small children to play. [7] Nintendo World Report was critical of the game, praising its aesthetic but feeling that its puzzles were illogical and gameplay nonexistent. [10] Writer Jacob Whritenour praised it for capturing the feel of the anime it is based on. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Boy Color</span> Handheld game console by Nintendo

The Game Boy Color is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game Boy product line.

<i>Mario Tennis</i> 2000 video game

Mario Tennis is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following Mario's Tennis, it is the second game in the Mario Tennis series. The game is known for being the introduction of Luigi's arch-rival, Waluigi, and the re-introduction of Princess Daisy and Birdo.

<i>Crystalis</i> 1990 video game

Crystalis is a 1990 action role-playing action-adventure video game produced by SNK for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The original Nintendo Entertainment System version has been re-released via the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Hamtaro</i> Japanese manga series and its franchise

Hamtaro, known in Japan as Trotting Hamtaro, is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai about a hamster. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's "Second Grade" magazine in April 1997; more Hamtaro stories would later be added into the other grade-level magazines, as well as in Ciao. The series focuses on a hamster named Hamtaro, who has a variety of adventures with other hamsters known as the "Ham-Hams". Viz Media published the manga adaptations and storybooks in English.

<i>Pokémon Crystal</i> 2000 video game

Pokémon Crystal Version is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It is the improved version of Pokémon Gold and Silver, and it is the final game of the second generation of the Pokémon video game series. It is the final Pokémon game to be released for the Game Boy Color system. It was released in Japan in 2000, and then internationally in 2001.

<i>Balloon Kid</i> 1990 video game

Balloon Kid is a flying platform game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy on October 5, 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991 in Europe. It is the sequel to Balloon Fight. It was never released in Japan for the original Game Boy; however, two years after its original release, a licensed Family Computer port titled Hello Kitty World was reprogrammed and released by Sanrio's subsidiary Character Soft exclusively in Japan on March 27, 1992. A Game Boy Color edition with a few new features titled Balloon Fight GB was released in Japan on July 31, 2000.

<i>Pokémon Puzzle Challenge</i> 2000 video game for the Game Boy Color

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is a video game for the Game Boy Color. It is based on Panel de Pon, only with characters from the Pokémon franchise. The characters in Pokémon Puzzle Challenge are based on those in the Gold and Silver games, while those in Pokémon Puzzle League—its Nintendo 64 equivalent—were based more on the anime characters. However, the game is also focused around beating the Johto leaders in a puzzle challenge in Johto region. The game play mode is divided into 1 Player, 2 Player, and Training. The game was later released on the 3DS eShop on November 6, 2014.

<i>Mr. Driller</i> Video game series

Mr. Driller is a puzzle video game franchise created by Yasuhito Nagaoka and Hideo Yoshizawa for Namco. The eponymous first game was released in 1999 for arcades and several home consoles, such as the PlayStation. Gameplay in the series consists of controlling Susumu Hori, the titular Mr. Driller, or one of his friends and destroying colorful formations of blocks to make it to the bottom of a well. In order to survive, players need to collect air capsules to replenish their depleting oxygen and avoid being crushed by falling blocks.

<i>Kirby Tilt n Tumble</i> 2000 video game

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is an action puzzle video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on August 23, 2000 and in North America on April 11, 2001. Due to the cartridge having a built-in accelerometer, it has a unique shape, as well as a unique transparent pink color in reference to Kirby.

<i>Mario Golf</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Mario Golf is a 1999 sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 (N64). Mario, his friends, and his enemies play golf on a variety of Mario-themed courses. Following NES Open Tournament Golf, it is the second game in the Mario Golf series. Camelot developed a Game Boy Color version. Unlike the console version, it includes role-playing elements.

<i>Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak</i> 2002 video game

Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak is a video game in the Hamtaro game series 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!. It was the second Hamtaro game released in America and Europe, but the third released 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. Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak was followed by Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.

<i>Magical Tetris Challenge</i> 1998 video game

Magical Tetris Challenge is a puzzle game by Capcom for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation. It is a version of Tetris featuring Disney characters. It is one of the few Nintendo 64 games to be entirely in 2D.

<i>X-Men: Mutant Academy</i> 2000 video game

X-Men: Mutant Academy is a fighting game developed by Paradox Development published by Activision. It was released for PlayStation and Game Boy Color on July 14, 2000, as a tie-in to the film X-Men, which was released on the same date. A version for the Nintendo 64 had been in development prior to the game's release, but was ultimately cancelled.

<i>Mr. Driller Drill Land</i> 2002 video game

Mr. Driller Drill Land is a 2002 puzzle video game developed and published in Japan by Namco for the GameCube. It is the fifth entry in the Mr. Driller video game series, and the second developed for a Nintendo platform following Mr. Driller A. Controlling one of seven characters, the player must make it to the bottom of each stage by destroying colored blocks, which can connect to each other and form chain reactions. The game is divided into five different modes themed as amusement park attractions, which feature new mechanics such as enemies, items and different block types.

<i>Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue</i> 2003 video game

Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue is an adventure video game developed by AlphaDream for Game Boy Advance. It was released by Nintendo in Japan and PAL regions, and was set to be released in North America, but was cancelled. It is based on the Hamtaro series by Ritsuko Kawai.

<i>Tomodachi Collection</i> 2009 life simulation video game

Tomodachi Collection is a social simulation video game for the Nintendo DS, released exclusively in Japan on June 18, 2009. A sequel, Tomodachi Life, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on April 18, 2013, and in North America and Europe on June 6, 2014.

<i>Wacky Races</i> (2000 video game) 2000 video game

Wacky Races is a racing videogame, developed by Appaloosa Interactive for PC and PlayStation, and by Velez & Dubail for the Game Boy Color, and published by Infogrames in 2000. An enhanced version of the game, called Wacky Races: Starring Dastardly and Muttley, was released for Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 on the same year.

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

<i>Mr. Driller</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Mr. Driller is a 1999 puzzle arcade game developed and published by Namco. Versions for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, WonderSwan Color, mobile phones, and iOS were also released. Controlling Susumu Hori, the titular "Mr. Driller", the player must dig their way to the bottom of the screen by destroying colored blocks that litter the playfield. Blocks will be cleared if four or more are touching each other, which can be used to cause chain reactions. Susumu has a constantly-depleting oxygen meter that can be refilled by collecting air capsules found throughout stages.

<i>Daikatana</i> (Game Boy Color video game) 2000 video game

Daikatana is a 2000 action-adventure game developed by Will and published by Kemco for the Game Boy Color. It is based on the first-person shooter of the same name, which was released earlier in 2000. Players control a swordsmaster who travels through various time periods in an effort to obtain the eponymous Daikatana, a powerful sword tied to the fate of the world.

References

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Tottoko Hamutaro 2: Hamu-chanzu Daishuugou Dechu (とっとこハム太郎2 ハムちゃんず大集合でちゅ)
  1. 1 2 3 4 Craig Harris (November 4, 2002). "Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!". IGN. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Harris, Craig (April 4, 2003). "Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak". IGN . Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Romendil, L'avis de (March 27, 2003). "Test: Hamtaro". Jeux Video . Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ "とっとこハム太郎2 ハムちゃんず大集合でちゅ". Famitsu . Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Tom Bramwell (February 17, 2003). "Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "とっとこハム太郎2 ハムちゃんず大集合でちゅ". Famitsu . Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Bro Buzz (December 2, 2002). "Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! Review for Game Boy Color on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!". Nintendo Power . Vol. 162. November 2002.
  10. 1 2 Ty Shughart (December 5, 2002). "Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Miguel Concepcion (December 9, 2002). "'Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite' (GBC) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on December 19, 2002. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  12. ↑ "【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. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  13. ↑ Whritenour, Jacob (October 10, 2014). "Pocket Power: Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.