Poor hamster-based fighter
Although Battle Hamster sounds like it might appeal to fans of other games which combine animals and combat, like Worms, MoleZ or the controversial Psycho Pigs UXB, sadly it lacks even the appeal of this latter forgotten 'masterpiece' and stands merely as a curio, only of interest to the true video game completist. Battle Hamster really does do exactly what it says on the tin and pits two hamsters against each other in mortal, albeit cute, combat. In traditional 2D fighter fashion, akin to Street Fighter or any number of other beat 'em ups, the hamsters duke it out against a rather plain backdrop until there is only one left standing. As is the norm, there are special moves available, but these are few and far between, and really the combat just involves stabbing wildly at a couple of keys and hoping for the best, with little finesse or skill required. Visually, the game is undeniably cute but that's about all we can really say about it. There is one simple backdrop, a plain green field against a blue sky, while the hamster sprites are identical, with only slight colour differences to mark them out. Music too consists of one simple track that gets annoyingly repetitive very quickly, while sound effects are likewise limited. Battle Hamsters is one of those games which someone must have thought was a terribly good idea but then ran of money or time when it came to actually developing it and hoped that no one would notice. Sadly however, it didn't really work and what remains is a poor excuse of a game, fit only for diehard lovers of hamster-based violence. If you don't count yourself amongst this number, then pass right on by.
