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  • Comment: Does not seem like an independently notable game. Better discussed in the parent article unless more reliable sources are found. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ () 11:28, 7 October 2023 (UTC)

See also: Draft:List of ZhuZhu Pets video games

ZhuZhu Pets
Developer(s)Black Lantern Studios, Inc. (Nintendo DS)
Raptisoft Games (PC)
Big Fish Games (PC)
OneNine Studios (iPhone)
Publisher(s)Activision
GameMill Entertainment
TiltnTwist, LLC (iPhone)
Director(s)Ryan C. Baker
Producer(s)Houston Brayton
Designer(s)Ryan C. Baker
Programmer(s)John C. Wigner
Artist(s)Ryan C. Baker
Composer(s)Randall Ryan
SeriesZhuZhu Pets
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
PC
ReleaseNA: November 11, 2009 (iPhone only)[1][2]
NA: March 21, 2010[3]
EU: March 21, 2010 (DS only)
Genre(s)Virtual pet (DS only)
Platformer
Racing
Action-adventure (iPhone only)
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer (PC only)

ZhuZhu Pets is a 2010 video game based on the toy line of the same name.[4] The game was published by Activision and GameMill Entertainment for the Nintendo DS and PC. A version for iPhone with the same name released and was published by TiltnTwist, LLC in 2009.

History[edit]

Before the release of the ZhuZhu Pets video game, the ZhuZhu Pets toy lineup had won multiple awards. At the 10th annual Toy Industry Association, ZhuZhu Pets won Girl Toy of the Year, Innovative Toy of the Year, and Toy of the Year.[5] ZhuZhu Pets were also the best-selling toy of 2010.[6] According to David Oxford, executive vice president at Activision, "After winning 'Toy of the Year', everyone is eager to see the next phase of their favorite toy". The ZhuZhu Pets video game for Nintendo DS and PC was announced shortly after being granted Toy of the Year.[7] The game was sold for $29.99. A limited edition version of the game containing the hamster Baxter was initially bundled in with the Nintendo DS version.[8][9]

Gameplay[edit]

The Nintendo DS version features a virtual pet area.[9] The player starts the game by selecting one of five hamsters, these being Patches, Chunk, Pipsqueak, NumNums, and Mr. Squiggles. The goal of this area is to keep your hamsters happy and healthy, with a heart indicator representing their health and a smile icon that represents their overall happiness on the top screen.[10] The player can feed their ZhuZhu Pet and move it across the screen to bring them to different rooms. Throughout the house is a bathroom, an exercise room with a hamster wheel, a bedroom with a nursery inside, and an adventure room. The ZhuZhu occasionally has a task for the player when a thought bubble appears above its head, requesting to go to one of the 4 rooms, or requesting food and water. The adventure room contains multiple racing/platforming stages containing coins, carrots, stars, and Baby Zhus that can be collected and brought to the nursery.[10][11] The more adventure stages that are completed, the more hamsters that are added to the house.

The PC version is a racing game that features 9 playable ZhuZhu Pets. The game is a reskin of Hamsterball, with identical levels, game mechanics, and modes.[12][13] One major difference mechanically is that the hamster ball rolls significantly faster. Party Rumble replaces Rodent Rumble from Hamsterball with 4 players able to connect with each other and battle in arenas.[14] Time Trials and Tournament Mode remain the same.

Playable Characters[edit]

  • Chunk
  • Jilly
  • Mr. Squiggles
  • Nugget
  • NumNums
  • Patches
  • Pipsqueak
  • Scoodles
  • Winkie

Reception[edit]

The game received "mixed" reviews on Nintendo DS according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. The game received one review from the Official Nintendo Magazine UK which stated that "the virtual pet aspect is a waste of time".[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "ZhuZhu Pets Release Information for iOS (IPhone/IPad) - GameFAQs".
  2. ^ "Zhu Zhu Pets by TiltnTwist, LLC".
  3. ^ https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-publishing-brings-toy-year-winner-zhu-zhu-pets153
  4. ^ "Zhu Zhu Pets: Toy successes hard to predict, but robotic hamsters got a craze rolling -- chicagotribune.com". Chicago Tribune. 2009-12-13. Archived from the original on 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  5. ^ "2010 TOTY Winners". The Toy Association. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  6. ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie (2009-11-21). "A Hamster Is the Season's Hottest Toy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  7. ^ Young, Amanda (March 23, 2010). "Activision Publishing Brings 'Toy of the Year' Winner Zhu Zhu Pets™ to Life Today on Nintendo DS™". Activision Blizzard. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "Amazon.com: Zhu Zhu Pets: Special Edition with Baby Hamster - Nintendo DS : Zhu Zhu Pets, Game: Video Games". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  9. ^ a b Zhu Zhu Nintendo DS Trailer, retrieved 2023-10-03
  10. ^ a b "Zhu Zhu Pets". Plugged In. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  11. ^ "Zhu Zhu Pets: Nintendo DS :: Game Review". Kidzworld. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  12. ^ Zhu Zhu Pets, retrieved 2023-10-03
  13. ^ Hamsterball gameplay all levels, retrieved 2023-10-03
  14. ^ "Best Buy: Zhu Zhu Pets Windows 35791". Best Buy. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  15. ^ a b "ZhuZhu Pets". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.

Category:Activision games Category:Black Lantern Studios games Category:GameMill Entertainment games Category:Nintendo DS games Category:IOS games Category:Windows games Category:2009 video games Category:2010 video games Category:2010s video games Category:Action-adventure games Category:Video games about toys Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Inactive online games Category:English-language-only video games