Hamsterz Life

Hamsterz is one of the new offerings in the Petz series from Ubisoft for the handheld systems. In Hamsterz, just as in the other Petz games, players will interact with their personal pets by training, playing with and feeding them.

In Hamsterz DS, players will first choose a hamster to call their own.  After naming it, the hamster will appear in a cage and be ready to play. Various actions can be chosen including training, feeding, care and other options. Training consists of teaching the hamster words (which they repeat back; in Hamsterz, the hamsters speak!) by speaking the set phrases into the DS microphone. The hamster can repeat these phrases back, but inaudibly. Players can also clean the cage, brush their pet and feed it. 

At first, the choices of toys, decorations and cage improvements are minimal, but by playing mini-games, players will win items in these categories. These mini-games are played randomly from time to time, and will have their availability advertised by a Play icon in the bottom of the screen. When the play icon is chosen, the player will be taken to the mini-game screen. These games are simple ones that include a version of breakout, a sliding puzzle, memory and other like offerings.  While simple, though, these games are well-executed and are fun to play.

The game as a whole is very attractive. The hamster looks almost real and moves just like a hamster would. The cage and other items are realistic. The mini-games are also very attractive and have a bright, colorful appearance.

The interface is easy to use and learn, and minimal instruction is necessary. The manual does a good job of explaining the basic control system.

Hamsterz is a much better game than its predecessors, Dogz and Catz for the GBA.  This time around, Digital Kids developed the game, and they’ve done a great job. While it still doesn’t offer the depth of Nintendogs, this game is a good pet simulation game for young children that is easy to pick up and play, and doesn’t require a whole lot of effort. There are lots of upgrades to win by playing fun mini-games that are designed for young players, and the training and care of the hamsters is fun, too, although there could have been more options for personal care. The graphics are appealing, too.

This is a light approach to pet simulations, and could have offered more educational features and more interaction, but what is offered is well-done and easy for the little ones. The price is a bit steep for this type of program, though, at $30.

Overall, Hamsterz is a great choice for families with young children, but parents may want to wait until the game is marked down in price. Older kids will enjoy Nintendogs more.

Gameplay: 7.5
This game is a lot of fun for young players. Simple, easy to understand tasks and mini-games make this product accessible for kids. There are plenty of items to play with that are added during the course of the game, but the training of the hamsters could have been more educational.

Graphics: 8.0
Everything looks great!

Sound: 7.0
The music is peppy and fun.

Difficulty: Easy
Hamsterz is super easy to pick and play, and was designed for young children.

Concept: 7.0
There is nothing new here, but the game is presented well.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Players can exchange pets and accessories through linking their systems.

Overall: 7.5
A great way to introduce young children to the fun of simulation games! Parents will be pleased by the quality and ease of play, but may not want to pay the steep price.