Title: Virtua Hamster
Released: Unreleased
Genre: Racing
Developer: Sega/Quakenbush Design
Publisher: None
% Complete: 70%
Since its emergence as the premiere designer of arcade games in the early 80’s, Sega has always been a leader in the area of innovation. Sega’s library of fantastic games features true classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Outrun, and Space Harrier, plus wonderful franchises including Virtua Fighter, Shining Force, and Phantasy Star.  Sega has always demonstrated their ability to “think outside the box," introducing interesting gaming hardware like the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cart, the 3-D glasses for the Master System, and the 32x Genesis add-on. Unfortunately, the 32x software library doesn’t reflect much of Sega’s unorthodox brilliance, demonstrated by the fact that many of its games are based on older Genesis titles.

Sega had big plans for the 32x, believe it or not...there WAS light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Sega intrigued the gaming world with the announcement of Virtua Hamster, a racing/action hybrid starring a rocket-powered rodent. Many industry bigwigs thought the game was a joke (it even turned up years later as part pf an April Fool's hoax) but Sega was dead serious. Eric Quakenbush (who was also responsible for another unreleased 32x game, Shadow of Atlantis) was drafted to design what would have certainly been a "niche" title had it actually made it to store shelves.

The playable prototype is estimated to be about 70% complete, but the remaining 30% seems to contain most of the gameplay elements. Unlike the other confirmed prptotype X-Men, Virtua Hamster doesn't have any truly playable levels, nor is there any idea of the evetual "goal." There is no introduction, though the title and option screens are in place (few of the optikns are actually selectable, though.) All of the gaming environments consisting of long, simple tunnels, meant to represent the insiide view of those plastic hamster cage tunnels that connect one cage to another.
 
 

Sega is a great company. Forever freed from the shackles of the Dreamcast and the hardware industry, Sega can now concentrate on what it does best… creating awesome video games.

As you can see, this review isn't quite finished... come back soon!