Hamsterdam | Nintendo Switch | Review

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It's a well-known fact that there simply aren't enough hamsters in games these days. Fortunately for the sake of humanity, Hamsterdam is here to put the world to rights. Self-styled as an arcade brawler in which you'll become a "Hamster-fu master" patrolling a charming iteration of (you guessed it) Amsterdam, the game seeks to overpower you with cuteness from the word go.

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​by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry

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Developer: Muse Games
Publisher: Muse Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam, Android, iOS, Mac
Players: 1

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Your hero, Pimm, must take on the fowl tyrant Marlo (a particularly angry-looking chinchilla) and free the fair city of Hamsterdam from the Vermin gang. If that all seems a bit silly, then you're underestimating just how much a cute fighting hamster who occasionally wears oven mitts can get away with.

The anime artstyle is sublime, giving a suitably over-the-top feel to match the game's tone and keeping things fairly family friendly for youngsters, too. You'll find three reasonably chunky worlds (or areas of the town) comprised of linear levels, which - like most brawlers - are a series of gradually escalating battles.

Gameplay keeps things simple, opting to shun complex combos or multiple stat meters, mostly restricting your attacks to a single button and the odd flick of the left stick. ​You'll build up a single KO bar to unleash a devastating, enemy health-depleting attack that’s complete with its own modest animation which helps to maintain a consistent pacing.​

Hamsterdam’s challenge becomes timing your attacks and counters to avoid damage and down foes as quickly as possible, doing so with finesse to grab the extremely satisfying 3-star clear rating. Numerous extra objectives are dangled for a bit of extra challenge on each level, which reward you with seeds to spend at the in-game shop and deck Pimm out in new threads. As well as the aforementioned oven gloves, there's also headwear and jackets which either make the game easier or harder depending on what you fancy. 

Mini-bosses and bosses shake up the gameplay with a more side-scrolling approach to action, featuring a few QTEs for good measure. This succeeds in effectively mixing things up, but robs you of some of the satisfaction of taking down the game's beefiest villains. As a result, the difficulty curve also feels a little spikey, since these sections require completely different timing and skills, but after a few determined attempts it’s possible to power through.

Fortunately, the experience remains on the entertaining side of challenging even at those sticky moments, and it's impossible not to fall in love with Pimm and her adorable, increasingly impractical outfit choices. At the price point (less than £10, whatever your platform of choice), Hamsterdam poses great value for money and is an absolute joy.

Pros

• Enough charm and style to fill a hamster’s cheeks
• Easy to pick up and play
• Overall quality means cute isn’t a crutch

Cons
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• Bosses shift gameplay and cause difficulty spikes
• Targeting one specific enemy can be tough
• It’s over too soon! More Hamster-fu, pls

9/10​