Chicken Invaders
| Chicken Invaders | |
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| Developer(s) | InterAction Studios |
| Designer(s) | InterAction Studios |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone |
| Release date(s) | 1999 (Chicken Invaders) 2002 (Chicken Invaders 2: The Next Wave) 2006 (Chicken Invaders 3: Revenge of the Yolk) 2010 (Chicken Invaders 4: Ultimate Omelette) 2014 (Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side) |
| Genre(s) | shoot 'em up, sci-fi |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 Players (Episodes 1 & 2) 1-4 Players (Episodes 3, 4 & 5) Rookie (Episodes 3, 4 & 5) Veteran (Episodes 3, 4 & 5) Superstar Hero (Episodes 3, 4 & 5) |
Chicken Invaders is a series of shoot 'em up video games, developed by InterAction Studios and released for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Windows Phone, and Android platforms. Currently, there are five video games in the series, along with the four special editions: the Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Halloween editions.
The main theme of the game is a battle between a lone combat spacecraft and a technologically advanced race of space-faring chickens, who are intent on subjugating (and later destroying) Earth. The games make heavy use of humor, especially in the form of parodies of Galaxian, Star Wars, Space Invaders and Star Trek.
Contents
Chicken Invaders
Chicken Invaders is the first game in the series. It is both a single player and two-player game.[1] The player takes control of a lone spacecraft, and must protect Earth from swarms of invading chickens. The game features weapon power-ups that resemble gift boxes, and the player can use these to upgrade their weapons. Chickens drop eggs which must be avoided, otherwise the player will die if they collide with these projectiles. Chicken drumsticks fall from the chickens when they're killed, and if the player collects enough of these they earn a missile. These missiles can then be used to wipe out everything (except the player) on the screen. The game also features unlimited levels. In each level, there are 10 waves, and at the end of every level is a boss, which must be defeated in order to advance (or warp) to a new system.
The gameplay[1] is endless, so there is no ending to the game; it continues on and on, until the player has finally lost all of their lives and the game is over. The difficulty increases each time players advance to a new level; the enemies move or fall faster, and objects like asteroids move faster, too.
There are no holiday editions of this game; this is the only game that has no Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving Editions made for it.[1] This is also the only game in the series that hasn't been ported to other platforms. It is only for Windows.
Chicken Invaders 2: The Next Wave
Chicken Invaders 2: The Next Wave is the second game in the series. It can be played by one or two players.[2] The player takes command of the same lone spacecraft of the previous and must eliminate the chicken infestation of the solar system. The game features eleven levels, each of which consists of 10 waves of attacking hostiles. In all the waves, chickens attack by dropping eggs which have to be dodged.[2] The player can collect different items that help him/her in the game. Primary weapons may be changed by collecting parcels. Power-ups may also be collected to upgrade the primary weapon. Weapons may be upgraded up to eleven levels. The eleventh level however, is only acquired by collecting ten power-ups. Player may collect and accumulate drumsticks to get missiles, powerful weapons that can wipe out an entire wave.[2] In all levels, except in the asteroid belt level, the ninth wave has a bonus (usually a new weapon, or extra firepower) awarded for not using missiles throughout the level, while the last wave features a boss.[2] InterAction Studios has also released Chicken Invaders 2: Christmas Edition in which eggs are replaced with Christmas balls and drumsticks are replaced with holly leaves.
Chicken Invaders 3: Revenge of the Yolk
Chicken Invaders 3: Revenge of the Yolk comprises the main game together with Easter and Christmas editions. It is similar to the second version (with up to 4 player cooperative play). It has 120 waves, in 10 levels across 12 systems in the galaxy.[3] There are 30 bonuses.[3] Weapons have 11 power levels, and a secret 12th level, which can only be reached by acquiring an additional 10 powerups after the 10th level powerup (the 20th). There are also eight which are unlocked after repeatedly completing the game.[3]
Chicken Invaders 4: Ultimate Omelette
Chicken Invaders 4: Ultimate Omelette is the fourth game in the series (UO) and is similar to Revenge of the Yolk. It has 120 waves across 12 or 13 levels. It includes weapons which can be upgraded through 12 power levels, with a supercharged 12th level. The weapons from Revenge of the Yolk are available as 'unlockables'. Ultimate Omelette unlockables can be purchased individually by collecting keys, which are dropped from destroyed enemies during the course of the game. A new feature in this game is the capability of the player's spaceship to face in any direction depending on the level (it was always facing up in previous games), and the camera can also zoom in or out depending on the wave (boss fights typically have the camera zoomed out to contain all the action). This game also has special holiday editions, which are the New Year, Easter, Veterans, Thanksgiving, and Christmas editions. This is the first game in the series to have a Thanksgiving Edition.[4] The game is also on Steam, with the graphics partially remastered in HD.
Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side
Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side is the fifth game (COTDS) and is very similar to the previous ones. On July 26, 2014, InterAction Studios announced[5] that the beta team[5] for this game was opened, and that they were now accepting applications. This meant if anyone was interested, they could fill in and submit their applications to this company. This October, InterAction is currently review the applications to decide who shall or shall not participate. On October 20, 2014, InterAction announced that the first beta team will be finalized within a week. Four days later, the first beta team was finalized, and InterAction stated that the second and third (final) beta teams will be finalized. The beta game is only made for Windows PCs only, and not for Linux or Mac OS X.
On November 22, 2014, Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side was released. The game is for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.
Future plans
InterAction studios told people who e-mailed them that they had plans for a new sequel to the series. They have given numerous clues to a possible new game; they have told everyone that the Egg Cannon will appear in Chicken Invaders 6, and the game could explore multiple dimensions. Also, the games always give clues to players that a new game could be in the works. For instance, in Chicken Invaders: Ultimate Omelette, the narrator tells the audience that "the Earth is once again safe...for now...", which meant that Chicken Invaders: Cluck of the Dark Side was soon to come.
On December 21, 2014, InterAction created a webpage for Chicken Invaders 6.[6]
Reception
CNET gave 4 out of 5 stars to the first Chicken Invaders game, highlighting the graphics and sound but criticizing the game's lack of features, and for the gameplay being repetitive.[7] CNET also gave The Next Wave 4 stars, again praising the graphics, but criticizing the lack of a windowed mode.[8] The Next Wave was rated "mediocre" by GameSpot, criticising the repetitive gameplay and indistinct enemy bullets. However, the colorful, cartoony graphics where highlighted, as were "flashes of understanding of what makes a good shooter".[9]
Shortly after its release, Ultimate Omelette was included in Adrenaline Vault's "Top Casual PC Games of 2010" list.[10] The reviewer described it as "the most fun arcade space shooter in a very, very long time". The original orchestral soundtrack was also praised as rousing, invigorating, and "simply the absolute best".[11]
Gamezebo gave the fourth game, Ultimate Omellete, a 4 out of 5 stars, saying that[12] "Chicken Invaders 4 is fantastic for a first-timer to the series", but criticizing that "for veterans of the games, it will feel a little too samey. The action has improved somewhat over the course of the series, but it’s still really the same ideas and premise that ran through the other games. Hence, those who are not new to the games may feel that paying full price for this latest release is a little too much."
Soundtrack
On March 20, 2011, InterAction Studios released the soundtrack for both Revenge of the Yolk and Ultimate Omelette.[13] This soundtrack was titled Chicken Invaders Episodes 3 & 4: The Soundtrack. It consists of 31 individual song tracks, which includes music from both of the games, and these can all be purchased at once. They would all come in one digital .zip archive, or can be purchased individually. These can also be used as ringtones. The soundtrack can be purchased on InterAction's website, Amazon, and iTunes.
References
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