Chicken Invaders

Chicken Invaders
Cover art for Chicken Invaders: Ultimate Omelette
Genre(s)	Shoot 'em up
Developer(s)	InterAction studios
Publisher(s)	InterAction studios Betacom (mobile)
Creator(s)	Konstantinos Prouskas
Platform(s)	Android iOS Linux Microsoft Windows OS X Windows Phone
First release	Chicken Invaders 1999 (1999)
Latest release	Chicken Invaders: Cluck of the Dark Side 22 November 2014 (2014-11-22)

Chicken Invaders is a series of shoot 'em up video games, developed by InterAction studios and released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Windows Phone, and Android platforms. There are five games in the series.

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.

Chicken Invaders (1999)

Chicken Invaders is the first game in the series. It is both a single player and two-player game. 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 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. This is also the only game in the series that hasn't been ported to other platforms. It is only for Microsoft Windows.

Chicken Invaders: The Next Wave (2002)

Chicken Invaders: The Next Wave (or Chicken Invaders 2) is the second game in the series. It can be played by one or two players. 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, moving inwards from Pluto, each of which consists of 10 waves of attacking hostiles. In all the waves, chickens attack by dropping eggs which have to be dodged. The player can collect different items that help them 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. 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. The game also comes in a Christmas Edition.

Chicken Invaders: Revenge of the Yolk (2006)

Chicken Invaders: Revenge of the Yolk (or Chicken Invaders 3) 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. There are 30 bonuses. 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 unlockables which are unlocked after repeatedly completing the entire game. The game also comes in a Christmas Edition and an Easter Edition.

Chicken Invaders: Ultimate Omelette (2010)

Chicken Invaders: Ultimate Omelette (or Chicken Invaders 4) is the fourth game in the series 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 20 power levels. 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. Key-dropping enemies develop a gold halo and must be killed quickly. The player must also watch the temperature gauge in the top-left, if the player overheats the spacecraft cannot shoot for a few seconds before returning to nominal performance. 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). The game also comes in a Christmas Edition, an Easter Edition and a Thanksgiving Edition.

Chicken Invaders: Cluck of the Dark Side (2014)

Chicken Invaders: Cluck of the Dark Side (or Chicken Invaders 5) is the fifth game and is very similar to the previous ones. On 26 July 2014, InterAction studios announced that the beta team 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. In October of that year, InterAction reviewed the applications and selected participants. On 20 October 2014, InterAction announced that the first beta team would 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 would be finalized. The beta version was only made for Microsoft Windows PCs, and not for Linux or OS X. On 22 November 2014, Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side was released. The game is for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. The game also has a Halloween Edition and Christmas Edition.

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. CNET also gave The Next Wave 4 stars, again praising the graphics, but criticizing the lack of a windowed mode. 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".

Shortly after Ultimate Omelette's release, it was included in Adrenaline Vault's "Top Casual PC Games of 2010" list. 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".

Gamezebo gave the fourth game, Ultimate Omellete, a 4 out of 5 stars, saying that "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."

External links

• Official website