Hot Potato (video game)

Last updated
Hot Potato
Hot Potato Coverart.jpg
Developer(s) Pukka Games
Publisher(s) BAM! Entertainment
Composer(s) Allister Brimble
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release
  • NA: June 28, 2001
  • UK: November 2, 2001
Genre(s) Action, puzzle
Mode(s) Single player

Hot Potato is an action puzzle video game developed by Pukka Games and published by BAM! Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America on June 28, 2001, and in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2001.

Contents

In the game, the player must simultaneously drive a bus and clear roads of alien potato beings. The beings are scattered across the street, and by shooting out rows of alien potatoes, they can be cleared from the player's path. The player must clear a set number of aliens to proceed in the game. Hot Potato received mostly above average reviews from critics.

Gameplay

The player's bus fires a row of three female potato aliens outward. The goal is to match like-colored potato aliens in order to clear a path for the bus. Hot Potato Screenshot.jpg
The player's bus fires a row of three female potato aliens outward. The goal is to match like-colored potato aliens in order to clear a path for the bus.

The game tasks the player with navigating a bus through roads filled with alien potato beings. [1] [2] The player's bus holds female members of the alien race, and the player can shoot the females from the front of the bus in order to clear the alien potatoes. [1] The aliens come in two colors: red and blue. Aliens are cleared from the road when two like-colored potatoes touch each other, but aliens begin to pile up in the road if two aliens hit each other that are not of the same color. [1] The road is continuously scrolling downwards, forcing the player to make holes in the road wide enough to fit the bus through. [1] The game can end prematurely if the player runs into too many aliens and loses all their lives. [1] [2]

Hot Potato features seven missions and seven score challenges. Mission mode requires the player to clear out a set number of an alien species. [2] There are multiple alien species in the mode and the mission does not finish until the player gets rid of enough of a certain species chosen by the game from the road. [2] Score challenge mode tasks the player with clearing away a certain number of aliens in order to reach a pre-determined score. [2] The game contains bonus levels which are longer than normal levels if the player is able to complete missions under a certain time period. [2]

Development

Hot Potato was developed for over four years by game designer Dima Pavlovsky before development was picked up by Pukka Games. [3] The game was designed to emulate the success of Tetris with an addictive and original puzzle design. [3] Pukka included the humorous storyline about potato alien beings in the game mostly for laughs and to give the game "charm". [3] The game was first displayed at the 2001 E3. [4] The game was released in North America on June 28, 2001, and in the United Kingdom on November 2. [5] [6]

Reception

Hot Potato garnered above mostly positive reception from critics; it received 66.42% and 74% ratings on review aggregate websites GameRankings and Metacritic respectively. [8] [7]

John Bye of Eurogamer called the game "curiously amusing" and felt that kids would enjoy the game. [10] Craig Harris of IGN noted that the game was surprisingly fun to play, and that the game would appeal to a unique niche in the video game market. He criticized it for failing to introduce the player to the point of the game, forcing the player to figure out how to play on their own. [1] Jay Semerad of Allgame commented that the game provided a surprising amount of challenge, which increased the game's replayability. [9] Frank Provo of GameSpot praised the game's visuals and sound effects, noting that they added to the experience of the game. He felt that the game was not as addictive as some other contemporary puzzle games, but he praised the game nonetheless. [2] The game's release at a $39.99 price in the United States was seen by some reviewers as being too expensive. [1]

Bob Tedeschi of The New York Times commented that Toys 'R' Us had originally chosen to not distribute Hot Potato, but began to stock the game after it looked like a big seller. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dr. Mario</i> 1990 video game

Dr. Mario is a 1990 puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and designed by Takahiro Harada. The soundtrack was composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.

<i>Yoshis Cookie</i> 1992 video game

Yoshi's Cookie is a 1992 tile-matching puzzle video game developed by Tose and published by Nintendo for the NES and Game Boy platforms in 1992. A Super NES version was released the following year, developed and published by Bullet-Proof Software.

<i>Tetris Worlds</i> 2001 video game

Tetris Worlds is a version of the video game Tetris. Originally released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance, it was later released for Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 in 2002. In 2003, an Xbox Live version titled Tetris Worlds Online and a single-disc compilation version were released for the Xbox. The latter was bundled with Xbox systems.

<i>Donald Duck: Goin Quackers</i> 2000 video game

Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers is a 2000 platform game developed and published by Ubi Soft for various consoles and Windows-based personal computers. A version with the same title was released for the Game Boy Color, before it was retitled Donald Duck Advance for the Game Boy Advance. Reviews praised the music, backgrounds and animations, noting the short length and low difficulty as more fun for children.

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

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. Released in Japan on September 21, 2000; in North America on December 4, 2000; and in PAL regions on June 15, 2001, it is the second Pokémon-themed entry in the Puzzle League series. While its Nintendo 64 counterpart Pokémon Puzzle League is visually based on the Pokemon anime, Puzzle Challenge instead draws inspiration from the Pokémon Gold and Silver games. The game features multiple modes of play and support for competitive play between two players. Puzzle Challenge was later digitally re-released via the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console line on November 6, 2014.

<i>Half-Life: Decay</i> 2001 video game

Half-Life: Decay is a multiplayer-only expansion pack for Valve's first-person shooter Half-Life. Developed by Gearbox Software and published by Sierra On-Line, Decay was released as part of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life in 2001. It is the third expansion pack for Half-Life, and like its predecessors, Decay returns to the setting and timeline of the original story, albeit portraying the story from the viewpoint of a different set of protagonists: two scientists working in the Black Mesa Research Facility. Decay is a cooperative multiplayer game, designed to be played by two people working together to pass through the game's levels.

<i>Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure</i> 2002 video game

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure is a 2002 platform game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Universal Interactive for the Game Boy Advance. It is the seventh installment in the Crash Bandicoot video game series, the first Crash Bandicoot game not to be released on a PlayStation console, and the first Crash Bandicoot game to be released on a handheld console. The game's story centers on a plot to shrink the Earth by the main antagonist, Doctor Neo Cortex, through the use of a gigantic weapon named the "Planetary Minimizer". The protagonist of the story, Crash Bandicoot, must gather Crystals in order to power a device that will return the Earth to its proper size, defeating Doctor Cortex and his minions along the way.

<i>Its Mr. Pants</i> 2004 puzzle video game

It's Mr. Pants is a puzzle video game developed by Rare and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America in 2004 and Europe in 2005. A port of the game for mobile phones was developed and published internationally by In-Fusio in 2005–2006. The game stars Mr. Pants, a crudely drawn mascot formerly featured on Rare's website who had made cameo appearances in several prior Rare games.

<i>Pac-Man Collection</i> Video game compilation

Pac-Man Collection is a 2001 video game compilation developed by Mass Media and published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It includes four titles in the Pac-Man series — the original Pac-Man (1980), Pac-Mania (1987), Pac-Attack (1993), and Pac-Man Arrangement (1996), the last of which was originally exclusive to the arcade game Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2. Each game includes customizable features such as the ability to alter the number of starting lives or difficulty, with all being stripped of multiplayer features.

<i>Sheep</i> (video game) 2000 video game

Sheep is a strategy puzzle video game released for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. In 2001 it was released for Mac OS X by Feral Interactive. The Game Boy Advance version was released in March 2002 in the EU, while the intended North American release was cancelled for unknown reasons.

<i>Digimon Racing</i> 2004 racing video game

Digimon Racing is a racing video game developed by Griptonite Games and published by Bandai for the Game Boy Advance. Part of the Digimon media franchise and video game series, it utilizes Digimon's characters and elements. Its gameplay largely resembles that of traditional racing games, but also utilizes elements of kart racing and action games. Its eleven playable characters can be increased to over 40 via Digivolution.

<i>Rampage Puzzle Attack</i> 2001 video game

Rampage Puzzle Attack is a puzzle game for Game Boy Advance, developed by Finnish development house Ninai Games and published by Midway Games.

<i>Back Track</i> 2001 video game

Back Track is a first-person shooter that was released for Windows PC in 2003 or 2002 and for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. It is notable for being the first 3D shooter to be released on the Game Boy Advance.

<i>Bomberman Tournament</i> 2001 video game


Bomberman Tournament is a game in the Bomberman series for the GBA. The game contains a multiplayer battle mode between linked Game Boy Advances. The player and up to three others can compete in any of the game's eight multiplayer battle arenas, each of which has its own unique gameplay twist.

<i>Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron</i> 2002 video game

Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron is a video game for Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. In the game, the player plays as Jimmy Neutron as he tries to stop his evil doppelganger, Jimmy Negatron, from his evil deeds. It was published by THQ and Nick Games and developed by AWE Games (PC) and Human Soft (GBA). The PC version contains a demo for SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month which was released around the same time.

<i>Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor</i> 2001 video game

Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor is a side scrolling and puzzle game set in the Jurassic Park movie universe. It was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Hawaii and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It was coincided with the release of the film Jurassic Park III on July 17, 2001.

Golden Sun is a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It follows the story of a group of magically-attuned "adepts" who are charged with preventing the potentially destructive power of alchemy from being released as it was in the past. Players navigate characters through the game's world by defeating enemies, solving puzzles, and completing assigned missions to complete the storyline.

<i>Urban Yeti!</i> 2002 video game

Urban Yeti! is an action video game developed by Cave + Barn Studios and published by Telegames for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America on August 16, 2002.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel and film series originally created by English author J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

<i>Babe and Friends</i> 1999 video game

Babe and Friends is a 1999 Game Boy Color game developed by Aqua Pacific Ltd, based upon the 1995 film Babe.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harris, Craig (July 6, 2001). "Hot Potato Game Boy Advance Review". IGN . Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Provo, Frank (July 5, 2001). "Hot Potato! Review for Game Boy Advance". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 14, 2005. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Adam (July 8, 2001). "Exclusive Interview with Pukka Games". Nintensity. Archived from the original on August 1, 2001. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  4. ↑ First Look: Hot Potato Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine . IGN. April 19, 2001. Accessed from November 17, 2012.
  5. ↑ Satterfield, Shane (June 28, 2001). "Hot Potato! ships for the Game Boy Advance". GameSpot . Archived from the original on October 12, 2004. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Hot Potato". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on September 19, 2002. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Hot Potato! for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Search Results from Metacritic.com for Hot Potato!". Metacritic . Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  9. 1 2 Semerad, Jay. "Hot Potato! Review". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  10. 1 2 Bye, John (July 14, 2001). "Hot Potato! Game Boy Advance Review". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ Tedeschi, Bob (July 9, 2001). "E-Commerce Report; Online retail profits have not materialized, so sites are offering information as a substitute for sales". The New York Times . Retrieved October 27, 2010.

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.