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> Results: Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts!
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What GamerDad says about the ESRB Content Descriptors:
Comic Mischief: Items are collected to play pranks on the exterminator, played out in cartoon form between levels. Hammy and his animal friends are back again. Following the earlier Over The Hedge video game, Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! finds Hammy suddenly without his cable TV. So with the advice of Boris the beaver, Hammy takes on the task of developing his own "interactive TV" shows, starring Dwayne the exterminator. The player controls Hammy using the stylus, with little use of the DS control pad or buttons. Use the stylus to move Hammy around the screen, double tapping items to collect them. These items will eventually be used to play practical jokes on the exterminator. With each practical joke completed, the player moves on to the next level. Finding and collecting items is very easy, as the game provides a written checklist of what to find, and in what order. A flashing icon on the game map (persistently displayed on the top screen) also indicates where items are located. This makes the game easy to complete, but does make Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! more accessible for younger gamers. You also collect bags of snacks, which are necessary in order to switch to another animal character, including Verne the turtle, RJ the raccoon, and Stella the skunk. Collecting sheep will extend your time limit during the final, timed stage of each level.  Unfortunately, the game lacks polish. Picking up items is sometimes difficult, as the stylus double-tapping isn't precise. This is especially a problem when items are clumped together on the screen. The overhead viewpoint works well, but only if you keep an eye on the map. It's easy to locate doorways this way, but not always easy to see them on the bottom game screen. And considering the game features one of the biggest personalities from the film, it would have been nice if the game played more to Hammy's spastic attitude. Instead, it feels like the game would have worked for any one of the characters. Minor annoyances aside, young fans of the film should find Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! fun to play, but older gamers will want to look elsewhere. Which version to buy? DS: Reviewed Above GBA: Similar overhead viewpoint, but instead of puzzles, the gameplay revolves around mini-golf (yes, really). PSP: A 3D action platformer, the game's descriptor indicated "Cartoon Violence" instead of "Comic Mischief". The game plays very similar to the earlier console games. 
The goal of the game is to perform mischief on the poor exterminator, which is likely the only concern with this game. Very little comic violence is present, and there's little parents should have to worry about here.
The game is more puzzle oriented than not, so for parents looking for something mildly cerebral for their kids, Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! fits the bill. Reading skills are recommended, as the game's cut scenes feature dialogue bubbles. There's also a text-based checklist which is very useful when looking for items. However, reading isn't absolutely necessary οΎ– young gamers can use flashing icons to locate items instead. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "over the hedge" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! |
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