The Hamster is a minigame in Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. It is unlocked in the Molentary Express' kitchen, when Luke Triton finds Macaroon's, the Molentary Express' chef, Hamster. The chef admits that the hamster is his and that he lets him eat all he wants. As such, he asks Luke if he could help the hamster do some exercise. Luke agrees and takes the Hamster with him on his travels with Professor Layton. Upon doing so, the minigame is available, and the player is free to name the hamster.
Gameplay[]
The player has to find the Hamster toys by solving puzzles, and use them to exercise the hamster. Each toy type has a unique skill. The hamster will prefer walking towards the closest toy, unless there is a certain one it likes more, or a skill is activated. The toys must be put within three spaces from the hamster's position (which changes as it walks), otherwise it won't be able to spot them.
Every time the hamster achieves a certain goal of steps, it gets skinnier and its level changes. The hamster's level begins at 5, and goes downwards as the hamster achieves more step goals. Once the hamster's level reaches 0, then the minigame is complete, and the Animal Lover's House is added to Layton's Challenges.
Hamster Toys[]
There is a variety of Hamster Toys the player can use, but the minigame can be completed without obtaining all of them. Therefore, it is not necessary to use all the toys at once on each workout.
| # | Name | Puzzle(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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Apple (x2) | Given by Macaroon | As the hamster's favourite snack, when he comes within three spaces of it, he will ignore all other items around him and walk straight towards it. |
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Pet House (x2) | Solve Mystery 05 | Your hamster is attracted to this adorable little house when it's within three spaces of him, but he will always ignore it in favour of an apple, if there is one nearby. |
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Flower | Puzzle #032 | This charming little flower attracts the hamster if he's within three spaces of it, though he likes apples even more. |
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Tree Stump | Puzzle #034 | This tiny stump attracts the hamster if he's within three spaces of it. However, if an apple is also within three spaces, the hamster always goes for the apple instead. |
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Block (x2) | Puzzle #056 | The hamster isn't interested in these blocks, but they are useful for blocking his path and line of sight. Position them accordingly for maximum effectiveness. |
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Light Bulb (x2) | Puzzle #058 | When the hamster makes contact with this tiny light bulb, it flashes, causing your hamster friend to dash in the direction he's facing until he runs into something. |
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Surprise Box (US)/Jack-in-a-Box (UK) (x2) | Puzzle #063 | When the hamster draws near, this item bursts open, surprising the hamster and causing him to run back the way he came until he bumps into something. |
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Pool | Puzzle #083 | After playing in the sand pit, the hamster always somersaults straight towards the nearest pool, no matter what. Somersaults don't count towards the step total. |
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Sandbox (US)/Sand Pit (UK) | Puzzle #096 | Playing in the sand pit always makes the hamster somersault straight for the pool, ignoring all nearby items. Somersaults don't count towards the step total. |
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Trampoline | Puzzle #099 | The trampoline makes the hamster jump forward two spaces and, upon landing, run forward until he hits something. If his jump lands on an item square, the item vanishes. |
Hamster Workouts[]
The workouts can be done one at a time, or all at once when enough Hamster toys are obtained to do the 30-step workout. Since the hamster's level goes down by one each time, the player should keep in mind that they will still need to do five workouts regardless of which way they pick to exercise their hamster.
There are six workouts in total, five mandatory to complete the minigame and a sixth optional called Ultimate Workout (64 steps). Each workout has several solutions, so the solutions shown here are indicative.
