Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is a psuedo-sequel to this summer’s animated movie, Over the Hedge. Now living in relative peace with their human neighbors, things are okay with the group. That is, until the cable goes out and Hammy well… goes nuts. Ever the mischief maker, RJ comes up with an elaborate plan to destroy their neighbor’s satellite dish, forcing him to go back to cable TV.

Hammy Goes Nuts! is comparable to the PS2 version of Over the Hedge. In fact, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the two shared assets. It isn’t the best looking of games, but it is serviceable and it gets most of the important things down. As odd as it may sound, there was something about the characters' looks that seemed off. They look like they should, but at the same time lack that cartoon-quality. Some of the characters, especially Boris, look outright creepy.

Sound is just okay. Music is standard background filler, but the voice work is pretty good. None of the actors from the movie provide voices in the game, but the sound alikes are pretty good.

Hammy Goes Nuts! is a standard platformer. Levels are introduced by a new character, Boris the Beaver, who knows more about the neighborhood’s inner workings than anyone else. From here, you switch between Hammy, RJ and Verne as they run, jump and use their special talents through a series of adventures in the neighborhood. RJ can use tools and is your standard, all-purpose character. Verne is the slowpoke of the group, but can take lots of punishment thanks to his shell. Hammy is the hyper one and, with a little help from caffeine, can enter a bullet-time mode, allowing him to get past obstacles. Although you will use multiple characters in each mission, which you use is based on the story.

Generally speaking, Hammy Goes Nuts! is a solid game, though it doesn’t do much to expand the genre or improve it. Most of the gameplay problems are a result of the developers trying to build a home console experience on the PSP. Sure, the PSP packs a lot of power, but what works on the PS2 doesn’t necessarily work on the PSP. Chief among these problems is the camera. Adjusting the camera is a pain, especially with the shoulder buttons. A fixed camera would have made sense, especially on the PSP.

Five Ad Hoc games are available in multiplayer mode. Each is a variant of Capture the Flag. One has you collecting items on a map while another has you trying to collect as many items as you can before being tagged. The variations are simple, but fun if you can find three people with the game.

Levels are a mix of platforming and simple puzzles. Camera issues plague the platforming segments, making them harder than they should be. There are numerous times where it would choose the most awkward of angles or get hung up on a piece of the environment. You can adjust the camera, but it gets tiring having to do this every minute or so.

Puzzles are simple and usually involve moving items. If you aren't shown or told exactly what to do, the solution is fairly obvious. However, some may prove tricky for younger players.

Camera control isn’t the only technical issue Hammy Goes Nuts! faces. Controls are easy to learn, but without warning can sometimes drop out or do the exact opposite of what you want them to. For example, characters won’t perform actions when they are supposed to. When playing as Hammy, there was a bit of lag between button presses and his jumps – causing him to get caught up in the alarm beams. Sometimes you’ll even have the controls and camera cause problems at the same time. Annoying? Yeah.

In the end, Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! is a ho-hum platformer that would be an okay purchase for fans of movie if it weren’t for technical glitches that can hamper enjoyment.