Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts!
Encyclopedia
Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is a video game published by Activision
based on characters from the film Over the Hedge
. The Game Boy Advance
(GBA) version, a miniature golf
game, was developed by Vicarious Visions
and released on October 10, 2006 in North America. The Nintendo DS
and PlayStation Portable
(PSP) versions, an action adventure game and a platform game
respectively, were both developed by Amaze Entertainment
and were released on October 24, 2006 and November 21, 2006. It is the second game to be based on the film.
The plot of the GBA version focuses on Hammy, a hyper squirrel from Over the Hedge, who learns how to play golf after his cable goes out, while the PSP version follows Hammy's attempts to get his cable back, and the DS iteration follows the characters' attempts to get Boris the Beaver material for his dam
. Hammy Goes Nuts! received mediocre reviews for all of its versions; the DS and PSP versions were criticized for generic elements and control issues, while the GBA game was brought down from its repetitive nature and low amount of content.
version of Hammy Goes Nuts! is a miniature golf
game. The plot follows Hammy after his cable
goes out; his friends teach him golf
to pass the time without his television. Hammy finds that golf can be used to destroy stuff, and decides to use it to cause mischief. The game requires the player to break human objects by bouncing the ball off of them, while also completing each hole in a certain number of strokes. In order to succeed, the player controls Hammy from a top down view, and makes him move obstacles which are in the player's path so the course can be completed. After the obstacles have been moved, the player presses a button and the camera shifts to one of Hammy's friends from Over the Hedge, and the player takes the shot. The game contains a challenge mode after courses have been completed which contains more obstacles and allows for less strokes, and features a more traditional miniature golf mode without obstacles.
version of Hammy Goes Nuts! is an action adventure game. The game follows Hammy in his attempts to help Boris the Beaver create a dam; in order to get the materials for the dam, Hammy and his friends set elaborate traps to fool the pest control
man in order to be able to steal his tools throughout the neighborhood. The player must complete a series of fetch quests in order to get the required materials. The gameplay is shown on the bottom screen, where the player controls Hammy; the top screen has a map which shows the entire level from a top-down view, and shows a picture of a human from the level who is asleep and counting sheep. The human serves as a timer, as once they wake up, the player loses. The game is controlled using exclusively the touch screen.
version of the game is a platform game
. The plot follows Hammy in his attempts to destroy the satellite reception of the neighborhood after the "Tool Guy" he was stealing cables from switches over to it resulting in Hammy losing his cable. Hammy and his friends help Boris, but as they discover that Boris wants to build a new dam, they stop him and succeed. In the single player campaign, the game makes the player play as one of three characters depending on the level, and each has a separate special power. The game otherwise contains standard platform and action elements such as jumping and attacking. The PSP version contains multiplayer compatibility between different PSPs.
's Jack DeVries called the Game Boy Advance version of the game "innovative", but criticized the game's repetitive nature; he also called the DS version "a snorefest" and derided its control scheme. GameSpy
's David Chapman praised the PSP's multiplayer games, stating that, "each one is a blast to play with friends", but he felt the single player mode was incredibly cookie cutter and standard. GameZone
felt that the DS version would appeal to children due to its ease of play.
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
based on characters from the film Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge (film)
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
. The Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
(GBA) version, a miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
game, was developed by Vicarious Visions
Vicarious Visions
Vicarious Visions is an American video game developer founded by the high school brothers Karthik and Guha Bala in 1990, which developed some PC and Game Boy Color games in late 90's and 2000. They later developed Terminus, which won two Independent Games Festival Awards in 1999...
and released on October 10, 2006 in North America. The Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(PSP) versions, an action adventure game and a platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
respectively, were both developed by Amaze Entertainment
Amaze Entertainment
Amaze Entertainment was a video game developer from the United States that sold over 100 games in its ten-year history , for several video game platforms, with headquarters located in Kirkland, Washington. Amaze’s primary focus was licensed games based on movie franchises, comic series, and...
and were released on October 24, 2006 and November 21, 2006. It is the second game to be based on the film.
The plot of the GBA version focuses on Hammy, a hyper squirrel from Over the Hedge, who learns how to play golf after his cable goes out, while the PSP version follows Hammy's attempts to get his cable back, and the DS iteration follows the characters' attempts to get Boris the Beaver material for his dam
Beaver dam
Beaver dams are dams built by beavers as protection against predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth...
. Hammy Goes Nuts! received mediocre reviews for all of its versions; the DS and PSP versions were criticized for generic elements and control issues, while the GBA game was brought down from its repetitive nature and low amount of content.
Gameplay
Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version of Hammy Goes Nuts! is a miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
game. The plot follows Hammy after his cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
goes out; his friends teach him golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
to pass the time without his television. Hammy finds that golf can be used to destroy stuff, and decides to use it to cause mischief. The game requires the player to break human objects by bouncing the ball off of them, while also completing each hole in a certain number of strokes. In order to succeed, the player controls Hammy from a top down view, and makes him move obstacles which are in the player's path so the course can be completed. After the obstacles have been moved, the player presses a button and the camera shifts to one of Hammy's friends from Over the Hedge, and the player takes the shot. The game contains a challenge mode after courses have been completed which contains more obstacles and allows for less strokes, and features a more traditional miniature golf mode without obstacles.
Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of Hammy Goes Nuts! is an action adventure game. The game follows Hammy in his attempts to help Boris the Beaver create a dam; in order to get the materials for the dam, Hammy and his friends set elaborate traps to fool the pest control
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
man in order to be able to steal his tools throughout the neighborhood. The player must complete a series of fetch quests in order to get the required materials. The gameplay is shown on the bottom screen, where the player controls Hammy; the top screen has a map which shows the entire level from a top-down view, and shows a picture of a human from the level who is asleep and counting sheep. The human serves as a timer, as once they wake up, the player loses. The game is controlled using exclusively the touch screen.
PlayStation Portable
The PSPPlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version of the game is a platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. The plot follows Hammy in his attempts to destroy the satellite reception of the neighborhood after the "Tool Guy" he was stealing cables from switches over to it resulting in Hammy losing his cable. Hammy and his friends help Boris, but as they discover that Boris wants to build a new dam, they stop him and succeed. In the single player campaign, the game makes the player play as one of three characters depending on the level, and each has a separate special power. The game otherwise contains standard platform and action elements such as jumping and attacking. The PSP version contains multiplayer compatibility between different PSPs.
Reception
Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! received mostly mediocre reviews from gaming critics for all its different versions; it received 64.4%, 60%, and 57.27% review aggregate scores for its Game Boy Advance, PSP, and DS versions from GameRankings respectively. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Jack DeVries called the Game Boy Advance version of the game "innovative", but criticized the game's repetitive nature; he also called the DS version "a snorefest" and derided its control scheme. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
's David Chapman praised the PSP's multiplayer games, stating that, "each one is a blast to play with friends", but he felt the single player mode was incredibly cookie cutter and standard. GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
felt that the DS version would appeal to children due to its ease of play.