Smashing Gnomes is so much fun! (Hammer Heads (PC))

Member Name: Donnabroom

Product:	Hammer Heads (PC)
Date:	22/09/08 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You get to smash gnomes, fun to play, easy

Disadvantages: The price

Hammer Heads is one of those games that you just seem to get addicted to. It is a really simple game; you have to bash garden gnomes with a hammer as they pop out holes in the ground. You have a health meter, (a cute row of hearts), if you run out of health, (by missing the gnomes, exploding bombs etc), it's game over.

As you progress through levels you get different gnomes, (some explode, some need to be hit multiple times etc), and different bonuses such as treasure chests, hearts, (which heal you), coins and even strawberries, (which stop your misses costing you health). The levels also get faster with more gnomes popping up all the time.

There is a shop every couple of levels where you can trade in your coins for upgrades for your hammer, health top-ups etc.

As with a lot of games like this you have a trophy room and you can earn trophies such as, "not collecting any coins for 15 levels" and "bashing 10,000" gnomes. The trophy room adds a lot of fun to the game and encourages you to keep playing it even when you have completed it. Some of the trophies are really hard to get and I find myself getting very into the game and getting quite narky if I can't get a trophy!

I found it really easy to get used to the controls, (it really is moving the mouse pointer and clicking), and I have gotten progressively faster. I think this is definitely one of the games that improve your hand-eye co-ordination!

The tension relieving benefits of smashing garden gnomes to pieces is often over-looked and under-valued in my opinion and this game is perfect for getting rid of unwanted stress without all the bits of broken plaster and the angry neighbours!

The game is available from www.zylomgames.com for £19.95 and you can download a free trial which will give you an hour of play for free before asking you for a code to "register" the game. I think £19.95 is a little steep for a lot of the games available on those sites, (some can be completed in a couple of hours), but Hammer Heads is really playable and has plenty of longevity due to the addition of the trophies.

All in all I think Hammer Heads is an excellent game for kids and grown-ups a like. It is certainly addictive mind you and not so suitable if you're one of those people who get all wound up when games don't go your way!

Summary: A great game.