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The Hoobs (PSOne) – Game Overview & Screens

by Rainier on May 8, 2002 @ 11:50 a.m. PDT

Iver, Tula and Groove are Hoobs who come from Hoobland, a sunny, colourful, bouncy world. They travel the universe in their Hoobmobile, a colourful imaginative bus that they live in as well as drive. Each day, they are charged with the task of finding out the answer to a question about the world they are visiting. They then report their findings to Hubba Hubba back home in Hoobland, who is compiling an enormous reference database called the Hoobopaedia. This information is then broadcast to Hoobs everywhere via the Hoobnet. Hey! Kids need games too you know!
Several Hoobs and Tiddlypeeps (children) aid Iver, Tula and Groove in answering the question of the day. Roma, the roving reporter Hoob, travels around the world and shows the group footage from her discoveries. Hubba Hubba also guides them throughout their investigations.

The Hoobs are always amazed and excited by their findings, and are anxious to report the answer to the question of the day on Hoob News.

The Jim Henson Company and Channel 4 have joined forces to produce 250 half-hour episodes of The Hoobs. Based on Hoobs – a race of great explorers from Hoobland – the show encourages children to question, experiment and communicate with confidence.

The Hoobs is the biggest pre-school commission in British television history and features puppetry, animation and the participation of real children (or tiddlypeeps as they are otherwise know).

The game retains the discovery and learning elements of the TV programme, and presents them in a way that is fun and visually appealing to the target age group.

The game begins with a FMV (full motion video) introducing the Hoobs and the game. Following the introduction, the player finds themselves inside the Hoobmobile, where Hubba Hubba appears on the visual intercom and explains to them why the Hoobs have been sent to earth and how they can help the Hoobs in their quest for knowledge.

The player selects one of five locations to explore (jungle, arctic, beach, barnyard, or mountains), after which Hubba Hubba will set the question of the day. The answer to the question of the day can only be discovered once the player explores the chosen location, and completes a mini game with both of the two tiddlypeeps in the location. By interacting with the tiddlypeeps the player can discover the answer to the question of the day.

(Examples of mini games include snap, jigsaw, memory game and a catching game)

But beware, sometimes one of the teedlypeeps may give the wrong answer. This encourages thought and memory.

During their explorations, the player will encounter many interesting objects and animals, which they can check into the Hoobopaedia. The player will be presented with a ‘real life’ image and interesting facts about that object/animal.

Once the player has discovered the answer to the question of the day, they can return to the Hoobmobile and report back to Hubba Hubba. After reporting back the answer, and after each challenge, the player is verbally rewarded by the Hoobs. (The player can return to the Hoobmobile at any stage of the game).

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