Software:Chicken Run (video game)

From HandWiki
Chicken Run
Chicken Run (video game).jpg
Developer(s)Blitz Games
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
THQ (GBC)
Producer(s)Patrick Cowan
Programmer(s)R. Fred Williams
Composer(s)Rob Lord
Platform(s)Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
ReleaseDreamcast, Game Boy Color, PlayStation
  • NA: 8 November 2000 (GBC)[1]
  • NA: 13 November 2000
  • EU: 24 November 2000
Microsoft Windows
  • EU: 15 December 2000
  • NA: 14 January 2001
Genre(s)Platform, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Chicken Run is a platform-stealth based 3-D platform video game based on the 2000 film of the same name. The game is a loose parody of the famous film The Great Escape. The Game Boy Color version is a 2D isometric puzzle-solving game. The game's plot is about chickens escaping from a farm from their evil owners and fighting for freedom.

While characters, mainly Ginger and Rocky, were voiced by professional voice artists, Benjamin Whitrow and Lynn Ferguson reprised their roles as Fowler and Mac.[2]

Gameplay

Dreamcast/PC/PlayStation version

Gameplay generally consists of the player taking control of either Ginger, Rocky, or Nick and Fetcher, and searching the Tweedys' farm for objects to be used in an escape attempt by the chickens.

This section of the game features stealth gameplay not too different from Metal Gear Solid, as the player will have to avoid guard dogs and the Tweedys themselves, in addition to searchlights, sources of light in general and noisy surfaces, since these will alert the security to the player's presence.

Should the player be caught, they will be sent back to the entry point of the current area, and will lose either their most recently obtained item or their currently equipped item which goes back to where it was originally found. In addition, the player will occasionally have to push objects about, or use the environment in order to get to a hard-to-reach item.

Each act ends with a boss level. In Act 1, the chickens have to control a mannequin of Mrs Tweedy. The Act 2 boss is a linear platforming level where Rocky has to avoid hazards to get to Ginger in the pie machine. In the Act 3 boss the chickens fly the 'Old Crate' and have to stop Mrs. Tweedy from reaching the top of the rope hanging from it.

The second two acts contain minigames representing an escape attempt, which in Act 2 involves launching chickens over the fence with a seesaw, catapult or fireworks. In Act 3, the minigames involve assembling a part of the 'Old Crate' and getting its engine running. Act 3 also contains a minigame in which the player has to get the hens in Hut 2 to lay eggs to pay Nick and Fetcher though this can also be played in the first two acts but without the player getting to keep the eggs.

Success is generally measured by how many chickens the player can save, or how fast the player can finish the task and the player can be awarded with bronze, silver or gold medals by Fowler for good performance.

GameBoy Color version

The GameBoy Color version is very different in which the player controls Ginger who has to lure the chickens to the exit of each level using corn while avoiding the dogs and searchlights in the chicken coop and the magic eyes and laser beams in the pie machine within the time limits. Upon completing a level, the player is awarded medals by Fowler which act as the password to access the next level should the player turn off the console before reaching it. New items are made available as the player progresses through the game.

Plot

In keeping with the film's story, the game takes place on an English chicken farm and follows a group of chickens as they try to break out of confinement.

Players must help Ginger and her flock make a break for freedom, while avoiding the evil Mrs. Tweedy and her oafish man Mr. Tweedy, who wants to turn them into chicken pies.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DreamcastGBCPCPS
AllGame3.5/5 stars[10]1.5/5 stars[11]N/A3/5 stars[12]
CGSPN/AN/A2.5/5 stars[14]N/A
CGWN/AN/A3/5 stars[15]N/A
EGMN/A5.5/10[16]N/A4/10[17]
EurogamerN/AN/AN/A6/10[18]
Game Informer6/10[19]4/10[20]N/AN/A
GamePro3/5 stars[21]N/AN/AN/A
GameSpot5.2/10[22]N/A5.1/10[23]5.3/10[24]
IGN7.2/10[25]6/10[26]7.1/10[27]7/10[28]
Next Generation3/5 stars[29]N/AN/AN/A
Nintendo PowerN/A6.4/10[30]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AN/A3/5 stars[31]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings63%[3]53%[4]60%[5]69%[6]
Metacritic68/100[7]N/A59/100[8]75/100[9]

The PlayStation version received "generally favorable reviews", while the Dreamcast and PC versions received "mixed or average reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7][8][9]

Kevin Rice of NextGen said of the Dreamcast version: "This is a surprisingly good conversion of a movie into a game. It's graphically brilliant in its similarities to the movie, and the gameplay is smart."[29]

References

  1. "PR - 11/02/00 - THQ SHIPS CHICKEN RUN™ FOR GAME BOY COLOR". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-238.asp. 
  2. "Chicken Run" (in en-US). https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Chicken-Run/. 
  3. "Chicken Run for Dreamcast". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20190505085140/https://www.gamerankings.com/dreamcast/434290-chicken-run/index.html. Retrieved 2020-09-27. 
  4. "Chicken Run for Game Boy Color". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-05-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20190521203513/https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/915856-chicken-run/index.html. Retrieved 2020-09-28. 
  5. "Chicken Run for PC". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20190527035448/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/457648-chicken-run/index.html. Retrieved 2020-09-28. 
  6. "Chicken Run for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20191205214259/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/339776-chicken-run/index.html. Retrieved 2020-09-28. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Chicken Run for Dreamcast Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/chicken-run/critic-reviews/?platform=dreamcast. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Chicken Run for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/chicken-run/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Chicken Run for PlayStation Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/chicken-run/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  10. Thompson, Jon. "Chicken Run (DC) – Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20141113190213/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26766&tab=review. Retrieved 2014-12-09. 
  11. Thompson, Jon. "Chicken Run (GBC) – Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20141113190418/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25918&tab=review. Retrieved 2014-12-09. 
  12. Woods, Nick. "Chicken Run (PS) – Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20141113190300/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25912&tab=review. Retrieved 2014-12-09. 
  13. Steinberg, Scott (2001-01-19). "Chicken Run – Dreamcast Review". CNET. Archived from the original on 2001-02-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20010207044516/http://www.gamecenter.com/Dreamcast/Reviews/Chickenrun/. Retrieved 2021-12-29. 
  14. Wolpaw, Erik (2001-01-20). "Chicken Run". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2003-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20030304145658/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/031/120/chickenrun-01.html. Retrieved 2020-09-27. 
  15. Laws, Wen (May 2001). "Chicken Run". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (202): 88. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_202.pdf. Retrieved 2020-09-28. 
  16. Einhorn, Ethan (February 2001). "Chicken Run (GBC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (139). Archived from the original on 2001-02-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20010211034029/http://www.zdnet.com/egm/stories/main/0%2C11589%2C2668383%2C00.html. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  17. Kujawa, Kraig (February 2001). "Chicken Run (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (139). Archived from the original on 2001-02-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20010211032717/http://www.zdnet.com/egm/stories/main/0%2C11589%2C2668366%2C00.html. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  18. Bramwell, Tom (2000-12-19). "Chicken Run Review (PSOne)". Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2001-03-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20010329224505/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/r_chicken_psx. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  19. Helgeson, Matt (January 2001). "Chicken Run (DC)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (93): 124. 
  20. Helgeson, Matt (January 2001). "Chicken Run (GBC)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (93): 138. 
  21. Four-Eyed Dragon (2001-02-05). "Chicken Run Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on 2005-02-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20050209063614/http://gamepro.com/sega/dreamcast/games/reviews/11096.shtml. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  22. Lopez, Miguel (2000-11-30). "Chicken Run Review (DC)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/chicken-run-review/1900-2659776/. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  23. Osborne, Scott (2001-01-16). "Chicken Run Review (PC)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/chicken-run-review/1900-2674949/. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  24. Lopez, Miguel (2000-11-30). "Chicken Run Review (PS)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/chicken-run-review/1900-2659779/. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 
  25. Nix, Marc (2000-11-23). "Chicken Run (DC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/chicken-run-3. Retrieved 2021-01-18. 
  26. Harris, Craig (2000-11-11). "Chicken Run (GBC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/11/chicken-run-5. Retrieved 2021-01-18. 
  27. Steinberg, Scott (2001-01-17). "Chicken Run (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/chicken-run-9. Retrieved 2021-01-18. 
  28. Smith, David (2000-11-28). "Chicken Run (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/28/chicken-run-2. Retrieved 2021-01-18. 
  29. 29.0 29.1 Rice, Kevin (March 2001). "Chicken Run (DC)". NextGen (Imagine Media) (75): 84. https://archive.org/details/NextGen75Mar2001/page/n85/mode/2up. Retrieved 2020-09-27. 
  30. "Chicken Run". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 139. December 2000. 
  31. Steinman, Gary (February 2001). "Chicken Run (PS)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (41). Archived from the original on 2001-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20010418223302/http://www.zdnet.com/opm/stories/main/0%2C11891%2C2667598%2C00.html. Retrieved 2014-04-14. 

External links