Last year’s hottest toy, the Zhu Zhu Pets, made a big comeback earlier this year with their newest sensation, Kung Zhu Hamsters. Before being trained these adorably furry hamsters might have been mistaken for a regular Zhu Zhu Pet particularly popular with girls. However, the advanced Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters have very little in common with their predecessors and are definitely aimed at the boys toys market.

These whizzing electronic hamsters dash and scurry around, cooing and squeaking depending upon what they encounter in their travels. All of that changes, however, when the hamsters enter the mystical “Tablet of Zhu,” a special training ground that changes these Zhu Zhu Pets into two teams of Kung Zhu Warriors, ready to battle each other.

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The new line, aimed at boys aged 3+, features Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, along with battle armour and vehicles as well as training and battle arenas. With eight original characters split into the two battling groups, Kung Zhu Hamsters’ owners have the adventure of training each character to become a fighting, battling warrior.

If your boys are likely to love this kind of toy, please read on for our reviews of the hamsters and their accessories. But Buy Now – these will be harder to get as Christmas approaches!

First though we look at what Kung Zhu Hamsters do and the differences between Kung Zhu Hamsters.

What do Kung Zhu Hamsters do?

Kung Zhu Hamsters might start off as “cute” and “mild-mannered,” but once they’re sent to their main training grounds, smart chip technology allows you to hear a distinct personality transformation. These second generation Zhu Zhu Pets are sure to be a hit with boys, who pit them against each other in a battle arena to test their combat abilities.

Known for being a highly collectible item, each Kung Zhu Hamster possesses its own unique features and accessories. Appealing to collectors as well as boys, these hamsters provide hours of entertainment. Hard hitting, action packed and full of fun, these toy hamster pets are trained for battle to become the ultimate hamster warrior. Complete with upgrades ranging from armor to tanks, it’s anyone’s guess who will win as one side takes on the other inside the battle arena.

These hamsters have various play modes. In ‘normal mode’ they are just like Zhu Zhu pets. They also have ‘explore mode’ where they make silly cartoon sounds and ‘talk mode’ where say individual phrases. But ‘battle mode’ is where they lose their mild manner and become zany and aggressive warriors.

There are two ways for the hamsters to enter ‘battle mode’. First they can make it to the end of a training course or second they can be swiped across the ‘Tablet of Zhu’ which is included with each armour set. Each Tablet unlocks one of 8 different fighting styles, which effectively means new sounds.

Introducing the Kung Zhu Hamster teams

Kung Zhu Hamsters fall into two distinct categories: Kung Zhu Ninja Warriors and Kung Zhu Special Forces. The Ninja Warriors are made up of Azer, Drayko, Thorn and Yama, four hamsters sworn to brotherhood and trained with martial art skills that have made them the most feared hamsters ever. Together, they battle it out against their arch rivals, the Special Forces, in the war to determine who is the ultimate hamster.

Rivet, Rock-O, Sgt Serge and Stonewall make up the platoon of hamsters known as the Special Forces. Sworn enemies of the Ninja Warriors, these soldiers have taken a vow to fight their enemy hamsters inside the arena and emerge victorious.

Is one Kung Zhu Hamster the same as the next?

Each hamster has its own personality and traits, making it unique. For example, Azer is the older brother of Drayko, a fellow Ninja Warrior. Raised in the dragon clan, he left to better himself and join the Kung Zhu Forces. Unfortunately, he was beaten in the arena by his best friend and left Kung Zhu in shame to form the Skull Clan. A rather miserable, spiteful hamster, Azer likes spoiled milk and baseball and dislikes sunny days and ice cream. His armor is called “Dark Jonin” and his special vehicle is the “Spider Skull.”

Kung Zhu Hamsters Review

The Hamsters

The hamsters themselves are cute and cuddly until they go into battle mode. Really young children may be afraid at first when they start to move on their own but they will soon get over it. They will be excited to set them going and watch them race against each other under tables and chairs. They are durable and the perfect size to take out and about to keep them quiet on trips. They also offer your child a chance to build up a collection of the various characters.

The biggest point to note about the hamsters is that there is not much point buying just one of them. For a basic gift you need two hamsters, one from each team, so that they can battle, as well as a few accessories.

The only downside is that they need batteries (2 AAA per hamster) – it may be worth investing in some rechargeables as you’re going to need them!

You should also keep little fingers and hair away from the moving wheels.

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Kung Zhu Hamsters Armour

Kung Zhu Armor allows your hamster to fight to the death and succeed victoriously in battle. Hamsters must be trained and geared up with the best armour available, as this could make the difference between winning and losing and turn the battle in your favor. Each set of armour comes with the Tablet of Zhu that is needed to turn your hamster into a warrior. Children love to dress up their hamsters ready for battle. The only downsides are that some of the weapons fall off a bit too easily so can be easily lost.

Please note the hamsters are not included with armour sets.

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Kung Zhu Hamsters Vehicles

Make your hamster invincible in battle by sending it into the arena in a Kung Zhu vehicle. With four different tank vehicles to choose from, your hamster toy will successfully destroy the competition in its battle against its adversaries. Each vehicle has moving parts and performs special, unique moves to make each battle more interesting.

Please note the hamsters are not included with vehicle sets.

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Kung Zhu Hamsters Battle Arena

The Kung Zhu Battle Arena is where all of the action takes place, with each hamster engaged in combat inside the arena to determine which toy hamster is the definitive warrior. Make sure your hamster is effectively trained and equipped to become the ultimate champion in battle.

The arena has two entrances and you should place one hamster at either side, gear them up with their armour or vehicle, and send them off into battle. The battle continues until one hamster is knocked over and therefore defeated. The arena is 47cm in diameter, so large enough to allow for plenty of ‘brawling’. There are various flag accessories and surprise obstacles to ramp up the fun. This playset can fix or join onto other accessories if you end up buying more and more pieces.

The arena is a must have for Kung Zhu fun. It is where all the fun takes place – you just may wish it had a volume control! You really need some armour or a vehicle for each hamster though or they will just tip over without a fight.

Please note the hamsters are not included with the battle arena.

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Kung Zhu Hamsters Training Grounds

The Kung Zhu Training Grounds are ideal accessories for your child to ‘train’ their hamsters. They are effectively obstacle courses to test agility. There are four to collect and all interconnect.

Please note the hamsters are not included with the training grounds.

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Buy Now For Christmas 2010

These warrior hamsters are far from being cute and cuddly like the original Zhu Zhu Pets. Make no mistake about it, these ultra cool, tough pets are sure competition for their predecessors, determined to win in the war against each other. Reasonably priced at around £10 for each Kung Zhu Hamster excluding the additional accessories, the hamsters have been pegged as the definitive must-have toy for Christmas 2010.

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