Publisher: Nintendo
Ages:
five and up.
Family
Rating:
Parental
Advisory:
None
If you've been inspired by the recent Olympics, Nintendo's Ham-Ham Games lets you test your athletic skills with the notable Hamtaro and his Ham-Ham pals. While the title is simply a variation on old track and field video games, it's got enough character, range and depth to offer an appealing diversion, particularly for the kids.
It seems that Hamtaro and his ultra-cute pals are competing in the Rainbow Kingdom's Ham-Ham Games, a championship competition that includes some 15 different sporting events such as archery, sprinting, sailing, beach volleyball, pole vaulting, swimming, tennis and more. Players get to control different Ham-Hams as they compete in the seven-day festival. The goal is to win gold medals and currency to purchase hamster costumes, which may be traded with friends via a Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable.
While most track and field games ask players to hit buttons as frequently as they can-it's almost like drumming on the keys, the events in this title are based more on timing. It takes patience to master the individual events and many of them are quite well done. We were surprised at the depth of some activities such as tennis and volleyball. The game also features areas where players may roam to talk with others and gain clues and tips.
The game appeals mostly to kids who love the saccharine-sweet characters, but grown-ups can have fun playing this one as well. Too bad the game didn't allow for multiple players and head-to-head competition, a glaring omission. On the other hand, this title is great for kids because there is no violence.
Most players have encountered track and field games at one time or another, and most are probably tired of them. But Ham-Ham Games offers an enchanting new angle on the genre that's involving for the kids and is fun for all to play.
8/23/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
