Part 3: The sun's shining, the rocks are falling

Update 02: The sun's shining, the rocks are falling



Hamha, goons! Today we're out on a mission to find a friend somewhere out here, on the scenic Sunny Peak. Thankfully, this being an adventure game means that it won't be a tutorial area.





There are a couple of fun little things to do on this first screen, just to reward those players who poke around at everything.



We can even Scoochie on up and admire the view again.



This one's my favourite though. Look at Hamtaro's little smile.

Still, can't be hanging around all day. >n



The moment we move onto the next screen, the camera pans across the stream... And look, we've already found Bijou! What an easy favour this turned out to be.





...Or perhaps not. There was a loud rumbling sound when she screamed...





Before we go and check on Bijou, let's take a quick poke around on this side of the stream.





Sadly, there's not much to see over here. Just this random ham-ham with nothing interesting to say... and what appears to be an empty dock.



At least this small division allows me to point out something important: Stocks of sunflower seeds will reappear when Hamtaro leaves the screen. However, they will yield less and less every time they're picked up... Until you switch the power off and load up again. (So if something possesses you to play along with savestates, remember this!)



Time to cross over and... Hellooooo.



What have we here then?





Oh, hi there. Sorry about that.



Uh... Okay then. At least that's Ham-Chat #12: Blushie/Embarrass.

Let's take another poke around, see if we can find out why that ham-ham was so embarrassed.



.....Oh.



Back to the Chulip LP with ye.



Moving eastward toward where Bijou went, we discover a minor rockslide has trapped her behind this stony barrier. And before you ask: Most ham-hams can't swim.

Since we can't talk to her past this obstruction, the only option is to head back a screen and go north.



...Which leads us into an area full of sunflowers. I wonder what these two are up to?





Oh? Must be something important you're thinking about then.

We're trying to think of a way of getting all the seeds at once from that sunflower! There's got to be a way...

...Is that all?



(They're talking about this one, which yields one seed per Tack-Q.)

Exactly! Doing a Tack-Q over and over is something for lesser hamsters! You know?



...I don't think I like you two very much.



Take tha-

...Huh.





Hey, you two. Stop and think for a second.



There ya go.



Excellent! Now we can-



...Oh. Yeah, maybe not Hamtaro's best idea.









I would have transcribed more of this, but just look at their smug faces. Jerks.



Yes, thank you very much.







Anyway... Let's get moving, preferably somewhere far away from these two.



(After one more parting shot, of course.)





Heading north again, we bump into one of Hamtaro's pals... Oxnard lives in the house next door to Hamtaro's, and he loves his food. Something seems to have upset him though.



Pepper... She's really, really mad! We were talkin' away when she got all angry and just took off! I... I don't know what's going on...



Aw, poor Oxnard. We get Ham-Chat #13 from listening to his story, Bluhoo/Sad.



We can't do much about his problem just yet, but there is something we can do over on this nearby stump. Somebody's shouting at us, but from where...?



Oh, there we go. It actually takes a few tries on the stranger's part before he gets Hamtaro's attention, but once he does...



We get another new Ham-Chat! Hamtaro will now call out to the other ham in turn if we try to step on the stump again.



Not that he has much to say. There's a small tip in one of his conversations, but it's not worth much.





There's plenty more ground to cover and silliness to see, so let's move swiftly along. (The frog does nothing, if you were wondering.)



The next screen east is full of new things to examine, including another rustling patch of grass. Sadly, it's another frog.



The tree in the back was the subject of Heyhoo-Ham's hint, in that a good Tack-Q will knock down a yummy acorn for us to gather.



There's also this hole, which leads into...



...a store?





Yes, this is the glamorous Boutique Ham. We can spend our sunflower seeds here to buy stylish accessories, which I'll go into more during a bonus update somewhere down the track.



For now, we have other matters to attend to.



Oh, dear heavens. This bit... Just so you know, the next 32 screenshots I took while making the update were all for resolving this little matter. I considered making its own bonus mini-update.

Might wanna go grab a sandwich, is what I'm saying.



The point is, stepping on the discarded handkerchief lying around will get this ham-ham royally ticked-off with Hamtaro.



...Not that he's terribly quick on the uptake about this.



The one you happen to gogo on right now! IT'S MINE!!!



Sure, whatever. Hamtaro just keeps on standing there while we go through the new Ham-Chat animations.





Yipes! Okay, okay! Take the damn handkerchief!



And with that, they storm off. But we're not done yet, no sir!



Leave the screen and come back, and we have something new to 'ride' on.



Yes, YOU! Y-O-U! YOU!
Now it's my newspaper you happen to gogo on right now!
Give it to me! NOW! N-O-W, now!



...Ow. Such a charmer, this one.



Once more, with feeling!



Anyone else feel like this might be taking too long? Yeah, thought so.



That strap! S-T-R-A-P! STRAP!
Do you plan to gogo on everything to see?



...Hamtaro's face at the end there is the epitome of .



Here! You got it dirty, you take it!



Why yes, this was why we did all of that. Remember, this is still an adventure game. There's still going to be some bizarre stuff we have to do to progress.







On the plus side, we have our very first inventory item now! (Also, we never have to see that ham-ham again. )



Let us finally move on. We still have a couple more screens to look at today, and this update is already about the same size as the first one.



The next screen is mercifully lackluster, home to another frog and dig spot... Oh, and one more NPC.



I'm busy gathering acorns, you know?

This is Seedric. He's an acorn maniac, and that's all there is to it.





I learned all about that in school.

Rolling into him also suggests that he's one of the younger ham-hams. _{...and maybe a little bit of a goon.}



Moving along, we find yet another NPC... and what looks like a door behind them.



I'm so glad you're home! I've been waiting for soooo long!



I'm sitting here waiting for Arnie to come home. I don't want to talk to you!

I don't think this little guy is named any point, though I could be wrong. Still, he has an important point to make... So let's talk to him again.

You again! You're not Arnie!



"You wait right here!" He said it, so that's what I'm doing. So just leave me alone!

Do you smell a fetch quest? Because I sure smell a fetch quest. It's going on the backburner for now, though.



Taking a few steps east brings us to a majestic waterfall, and a... Oh dear.



...Oh. Thanks, birdie-buddy. We manage to nab this little treat by saying Hamha while standing on that very patriotic feather there.

_{I seriously doubt that was a condor though.}



Let's Scoochie on down... Maybe this will get us closer to Bijou again.





Oh, there's Pepper the farmyard gal! Remember, Oxnard was having some trouble with her.



Not that we can do anything about that right now either. Seems we need help reaching high places...



Well, sometimes. Hamtaro can Scoochie on up to the sunflower to nab five seeds.



Going down again! Oh, and as a sidenote: Digdig at that signposted hole for a shortcut back to the map. One way only, though.



Finally down at the stream's level again, and we discover the boat that goes with that empty dock from before. Looks like it's tied up tight though.



Stepping west puts us on the final new screen of the update, and brings us to the last NPC! Perhaps they can help Hamtaro Lookie for a way to reach Bijou.







Ok, I'm looking for this swan-shaped thingy...

Oh, you must be Arnie. But you see...

What? Not that? You're looking for a girl with a ribbon? You know, I think I heard a girl calling out from behind that boulder... Think that's her?

Yep, sounds about right. Looks like she was lucky that the rocks fell either side of her, rather than straight on top.





...Why would you even consider biting a boulder?



Thanks for mentioning it, though.



Oh, don't worry about that.



I have a plan. And nothing can possibly go wrong.

And on that note, I believe it's time to wrap up this update. Join me next time, where we (hopefully) rescue Bijou!

Bonus video:

That's five more for the pile. Er, book.