When most gamers think of a hedgehog in a hurry, a blue spiky speedster with attitude who hasn’t been in many good games lately springs to mind. But these little critters in Hurry Up, Hedgehog! on the DS serve as playing pieces in this video game adaptation of a strategy board game I’ve never heard of called “Igel Algern” (or Egelrace).

Your job is to get three of your color hedgehogs from one side of the grid to another, but there are rules about how far and which way you can move your pieces. It’s a little hard to explain and understand the rules, and unfortunately, the instruction booklet doesn’t do a very good job either. Even the in-game instructions simply tell you to refer to the manual! You’ll just have to play it a few times to get the hang of it. And the menus are a little tricky to navigate around at first, too.

One nice thing about Hurry Up, Hedgehog is up to five people can play on one DS system, or if everyone has a DS and copy of the game, they can play against each other through local wireless. Too bad that such a simple game couldn’t have single cart play, though. And the squeals and chatters of the hedgehogs are cute and amusing. You can also set various movement rules to your liking. While there isn’t much to it, people who enjoy simple strategic board games like Othello may want to try Hurry Up, Hedgehog!

Kid Factor:

Hurry Up, Hedgehog! is rated E-10 for Everyone 10 and Up, but just about anyone can play. The younger ones may need a little help figuring out the rules at first, and reading skill is also a plus. Some kids may get bored with the simplistic nature of the gameplay, but it still can provide a quick burst of fun with family and friends who enjoy these types of challenges.

Tags: Game Reviews