Hammy does indeed "go nuts" in this brand new DS adventure game based on the hyper active squirrel from the popular Dreamworks animated film Over The Hedge. Hammy Goes Nuts is a great game for kids, with lots of simple to understand game elements, some funny and fun gags, all the familiar faces from the film and a nice interactive pay-off in the form of closed circuit television pranks involving the big dumb dufus from the film, Dwayne the exterminator. While the game may be great for kids, the gameplay is probably a little too juvenile and simple for adults to take an interest in - that's really not a knock against the game, it's just a cold hard fact about the audience this game is meant for.
Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is set slightly after the end of the film, with Hammy a little peeved by the fact that his cable TV has been cut off. Without anything to keep him mentally stimulated the squirrel is about to snap until a plan is hatched to find the offending satellite dishes messing up the signal and taking them out. In the process Hammy will also get sweet revenge on that blockhead of an exterminator Dwayne by setting up a series of gags and pitfalls that he can watch at anytime via closed circuit TV. Hammy, along with familiar friends RJ the Raccoon, Verne the Turtle, Stella the Skunk and many others in tow, invade the neighborhood, cause lots of trouble and generally go nuts to make things right.
Hammy Goes Nuts on the Nintendo DS is a simple adventure game where you use the stylus to click on objects to manipulate them or pick them up. You'll use these objects to interact with other objects in each level, in simple adventure game fashion. The goal is to create gags to be used on Dwayne and get out as quickly as possible while avoiding the human inhabitants in each area. Most of the times these humans will be sleeping, but you can prolong their snooze time by collecting sheep scattered about each location. Most of the "puzzles" in the game are pretty straightforward, so kids of all ages should have a pretty easy time figuring out how to solve things in a short amount of time.
Each stage features three phases - entry into the target residence, setting up a gag and finding the exit. The entry phase is simply a matter of finding an alternate route or finding a key by using objects. During both these phases you can enlist the help of your pals by using snacks you've collected as payment, though it seems easier just to do everything yourself and save the snacks for the end-of-stage bonus.
After you've made your way into the target residence, set up your gag and escaped in time you can head back home to watch your prank in action. The game has multiple channels that you can flip through to watch the dorky bad guy get what's coming to him. After watching the pranks you've put together you can head out to the map screen and pick a new location to commit some more chicanery against the humans. And that's the game in a nutshell.
Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is a fun and simple game that should keep youngsters that are familiar with the film amused for countless hours. The simple gameplay design and interface along with the large cartoon objects and cute juvenile humor is fund and family friendly. With Christmas right around the corner, Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is a game worth considering for children of all ages.
