Chicken Run

Developers ~ Blitz Games Publishers ~ Eidos Interactive Released 24 Nov, 2000.

Chicken Run is a game based on the animated film of the same name and is suprisingly playable compared to the other film-to-game disasters. The story is simple: you must escape Tweedy Farm with all of your domesticated fowl chums by building catapults, see-saws and other comical escape devices. Its a parody of The Great Escape and hen houses look like POW barracks and are fenced in behind barbed wire. It also plays in parts similar to Metal Gear Solid where you must avoid search lights and sneak around with your feathery back to the wall.
Lookswise it can be a little blocky but not so much as to ruin the game, and in truth it only crops up in a few close up shots. Characters move well enough and it does feel like you're in a cartoon. The cut scenes of course are sublime and are straight out of the films animation drawer.
One of the coolest things about Chicken Run is the music. Again its very Great Escape with cheery brass band sections, that really do stir you onward in missions. (Well they do with me!) Voice overs are the genuine artice too.
Another neat touch are the mini games like The Bunty Eggs-Press game where you must feed a hen by tapping the blue button until its full then catch the eggs she lays before they smash on the floor. Neat!
You play three characters ~ Ginger (the main one), Rocky and Nick & Fetcher. Its all mainly gathering the bits and bobs you need to built the devices, while avoiding the Tweedy's and those pesky guard dogs. (You can lure the mutts away by lobbing sprouts around, like the knock-on-wall trick that Snake used in MGS.) When I first played this a decade ago, those dogs were genuinely frightening. It was that close up shot afer they caught you and bared those teeth that did it. Mrs Tweedy too is pretty spooky in a Wicked Witch of the West kinda way.
Im enjoying playing this again after all these years, the only downside is that while the camera can be moved with left/right d-pad dabs its not entirely helpful in allowing you to see your surroundings. I have often ended up in farmer Tweedys torchlight owing to the camera being an awkward swine. Thankfully your position (and those of your enemies) is marked on the little radar at the bottom of the screen (another nod to MGS) so its not utterly frustrating.
All in all Chicken Run is a decent game and for the price of a few pints you can't go far wrong. Wings up!

Top Ten Dreamcast Downloads

Lots of excitement around the fact that PSN and XBLA are now making Dreamcast titles available for download. It seems there might be one a month which is very cool news for veteran Dreamcast players, and those who didn't get to play them on the machine the first time around.
In anticipation of which games will make the download jump here is my TOP TEN wishlist in no particular order. Pay attention Playstation and Xbox download dudes.
N.B. You can read what I think of these games in more depth by going to the relevant review on this blog.

1. CRAZY TAXI

This fantastic game is already confirmed (it could even be available as I type) which pleases me greatly. Hopefully you can mess around with the music too as the only bad thing I have to say about Crazy Taxi was having to listen to The Offspring constantly.
This is near perfect for online shenanigans too.


On the highway to Dreamcast Heaven

2. HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2

Brilliant game and another which would be satisfying online. Rankings on leaderboards, togther with different boss challenges.

3. SILENT SCOPE

Cool game and what else would be cool would the ability to target others online. Good for a Hi-Score table also.

4. SPEED DEVILS

One of the best racers ive ever played. Think about it; you can place bets in Speed Devils and having the chance to bet (and possibly lose) your own vehicles in online races would make for more nteresting battles. And imagine downloading new tracks and vehicles like in Motorstorm. Count me in!


Imagine this in HD on a 50" screen

5. SHENMUE

Need I say more?

6. READY 2 RUMBLE 2

I want to punch out complete strangers in a different country while they are dressed as Bill Clinton. WIN!

7. ZOMBIE REVENGE

An awesome zombie shooter is essential because blasting zombies in the face is fun.

8. POWERSTONE

Either the first one or the second, im not fussed but one of them HAS to be included.

9. VIRTUA TENNIS

The best tennis game on ANY console ever. Online tournaments, new trophies, leaderboards, rankings, its all possible with tennis.

10. GUNBIRD 2