There are many speccy games to choose from such as Chuckie Egg or the classic Knight Lore, but for this article I decided to take a look at Jetpac developed by Ultimate Play the Game and released in 1983. Dec 25, 2017 TimeWarrior 1.0.0 - A golang time tracker.
Chuckie Egg | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | A&F Software |
Publisher(s) | A&F Software Pick & Choose |
Designer(s) | Nigel Alderton[1] |
Platform(s) | BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Dragon, Acorn Electron, Commodore 64, MSX, Einstein, Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC |
Release | 1983 |
Genre(s) | Platform |
Mode(s) | 1-4 players alternating |
Chuckie Egg is a video game released by A&F Software in 1983 initially for the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Dragon 32/64. Its popularity saw it released over the following years for the Commodore 64, Acorn Electron, MSX, Tatung Einstein, Amstrad CPC and Atari 8-bit family. It was later updated for the Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC compatibles.
The game was written by Nigel Alderton,[1] then 16 or 17 years old. After a month or two of development, Nigel took a pre-release version of his Spectrum code to the two-year-old software company A&F, co-founded by Doug Anderson and Mike Fitzgerald (the 'A' and 'F', respectively). Doug took on the simultaneous development of the BBC Micro version, whilst Mike Webb, an A&F employee, completed the Dragon port. Chuckie Egg went on to sell over a million copies and remained a steady earner for A&F before the company went into administration in the late 1980s.[2]
The versions fall broadly into two groups: those with realistic physics (e.g., BBC Micro and Amstrad CPC) and those without (e.g., ZX Spectrum). Although there is a substantial difference in play between the two, levels remain largely the same and all the 8-bit versions have been cited as classics.[3][4][5]
As Hen-House Harry, the player must collect the twelve eggs positioned in each level, before a countdown timer reaches zero. In addition there are piles of seed which may be collected to increase points and stop the countdown timer for a while, but will otherwise be eaten by hens that patrol the level, causing them to pause. If the player touches a hen or falls through a gap in the bottom of the level, he loses a life. Each level is made of solid platforms, ladders and occasionally lift platforms that constantly move upwards but upon leaving the top of the screen will reappear at the bottom. Hitting the top of the screen while on one of these lifts, however, will also cause the player to lose a life.
Eight levels are defined and are played initially under the watch of a giant caged duck. Upon completion of all eight the levels are played again without hens, but Harry is now pursued by the freed duck flying around the screen and homing in on him.[6] A second completion of all eight levels yields a third play through with both hens and the duck. A fourth pass introduces additional hens. Finally, a fifth pass has the duck and additional hens moving at a greater speed. If the player completes all forty levels then they advance to 'level 41' which is in fact exactly the same as level 33.
The player starts with five lives, and an extra life is awarded every 10,000 points.
The ZX Spectrum version was rated number 13 in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time.[7]
Chuckie Egg was followed up, two years after its first release, with a sequel entitled Chuckie Egg 2. Available on a much smaller subset of platforms, this release changed genre quite radically and involved the player, as Harry again, working through a factory attempting to create Easter eggs complete with toy, in a Jet Set Willy-style adventure. Whilst the first game had each level on one single screen, the new version had levels covering multiple screens. Although the sequel has gained a small number of admirers, it never received the same attention as the original.
In 2017, the remake Super Chuckie Egg was released for mobile devices.[8]
Join Harry, the intrepid explorer, as he searches for and collects hundreds of golden eggs spread across over thirty levels plus some hidden extras.
Your fingers will be tapping as you guide Harry from level to level, grabbing every last egg along the way (and maybe munching some bird seed too!).
But, watch out! Bertha -- the naughty bird and Harry's arch enemy -- is not going to stop until she’s put an end to his egg-hunting antics! Her dopey ostriches wandering each level may be slow, but if Harry gets cornered, it could be Game Over!
Inspired by the 1983 game of the same name, Chuckie Egg 2017 HD is a thoroughly modern take on retro-style platform action, with vibrant art, modern controls, and music that will have you humming away while you play.
It’s going to be an egg-splosive adventure, so get your fast fingers at the ready!
Hatch a plan to beat the game and don’t get too hard boiled or you may end up being scrambled!
Why buy Chuckie Egg 2017 HD?
- 25 main game levels plus 2 hidden extras
- Included 'Mountain Madness' add-on with 6 new levels, new art, music and more
- Tutorial level to help you practice and learn the controls
- Normal and Hard difficulty modes
- Auto-complete option allows you to play any level in any order
- High definition art is ideal for the latest devices such as Pixel 2/3
- Eight different stereo music tracks
- Nine Game Center Achievements
- No Ads, no IAPs, and no ad tracking!
Not sure if you want to buy? Try out our new special edition Android only game, Chuckie Egg 2017: Let's Play. It's totally free!
Like Chuckie Egg 2017 on mobile, but prefer keyboards or controllers? Try the PC and Mac version, available on Steam!