Hamtaro and his hamster friends are ready to play! Your youngest Nintendo DS gamers won’t even realize they’re learning basic math, memorization, and comprehension skills as they have fun with a dozen mini-games starring Hamtaro and his pals.

Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge is a collection of touch screen based mini-games designed for the very youngest of DS users. Use the stylus to guide Hamtaro out of his cage and into the garden square where all of his hamster friends are waiting to play. All the games feature early grade school level challenges.

Play shop with Howdy and count exact change for customers. Match shapes in Snoozer’s dreams during nap time. Practice counting and writing numbers as you play pretend school with Maxwell. And remember customers’ orders as you make juice for Bijou’s friends (Oh great, I’m calling them by their NAMES now?). After winning a game, players are rewarded with a virtual trading card that they can add to their album. Little gamers can also explore the square, collecting sunflowers seeds that they can spend on presents for Hamtaro’s friends.

In most of the mini-games, reading skill isn’t required as instructions are mostly picture based. But in a couple, reading is a must. In the game where you feed Oxnard the kind of food he wants to eat, the only way to tell is by reading his instructions. And sometimes it can get tricky, especially when he asks to eat seedless foods or non-vegetables (But aren’t peanuts really vegetables and isn’t a tomato technically a fruit?). Other than that, these games are pretty easy to grasp.

There’s even a special section where parents can view their child’s progress in the games, change the difficulty level, and reward them with presents. Ham-Ham Challenge is rated E for Everyone and there is nothing questionable or objectionable about it. Except there is a small bit of ‘potty humor’ when you are in Hamtaro’s cage and tap on the thing that looks like a hamster potty. Hamtaro will sit down on it, make a straining sound like he’s going to the bathroom, and then look up all embarrassed! (Hey, maybe it’s potty training encouragement…bonus!)

Really the only problem with Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge is the license itself. A few years ago, Hamtaro had a kids’ anime cartoon and toy line, but not much else has been done with the Hamtaro characters in the US lately. There’s nothing to offer older Hamtaro fans in this game, sorry Mom (Yes, my mom is a Hamtaro fan.). And younger gamers may not remember Hamtaro at all.

But the game and the colorful hamster characters should still appeal to little DS users. Those hamsters are still memorable little guys. Heck, just the other day, one of my younger brothers was remembering a Hamtaro plush toy I got for him as a present when he was little, and how he used to always carry it around everywhere!

Tags: Game Reviews