Chuckie Egg

Chuckie Egg
Developer(s)	A&F Software
Publisher(s)	A&F Software Pick & Choose
Designer(s)	Nigel Alderton
Platform(s)	BBC Micro ZX Spectrum Dragon 32/64 Acorn Electron Commodore 64 MSX Tatung Einstein Amstrad CPC Atari 8-bit family Commodore Amiga Atari ST IBM PC compatible Mobile Phone
Release date(s)	1983
Genre(s)	Arcade game
Mode(s)	Single player

A&F Software's Chuckie Egg is a home computer video game released in 1983, initially for the ZX Spectrum, the BBC Micro and the Dragon. Its subsequent popularity saw it released over the following years on a wide variety of computers, including the Commodore 64, Acorn Electron, MSX, Tatung Einstein, Amstrad CPC and Atari 8-bit family. It was later updated and released for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC compatibles.

The original idea is generally attributed to the then 16 or 17 year old Nigel Alderton. 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 Mike Fitzgerald (the F in A&F) and Doug Anderson (the A in A&F). 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, who eventually went under in the latter half of the 1980s.

The versions fall broadly into two groups — those with realistic physics (e.g. the BBC Micro and Amstrad CPC versions) and those without (e.g. the ZX Spectrum version). Although there is a substantial difference in play between the two, levels remain largely the same and all the 8-bit versions have been accepted as classics.

This game is often credited alongside Manic Miner and Lode Runner with helping develop and popularise the platform game, and has gone on to be a cult classic with a number of unofficial retro remakes appearing online.

Much of the game's cult status was helped by the fact that schools used BBC Micro computers, and many schools had a copy of the game, introducing it to a wide audience of youngsters.

Gameplay

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. 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.

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 now pursued by the freed duck who is not affected by the positioning of platforms. 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. This feature was unusual as most BBC Micro games returned the user to level one.

The player starts with five lives, but an extra life is awarded every 10,000 points.

Screenshots

Acorn Electron

Commodore Amiga

ZX Spectrum

Sequels

Chuckie Egg was also 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 Dizzy-style graphic 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.

References

• "An interview with Nigel Alderton". 80sNostalgia.com. http://www.80snostalgia.com/index.php?name=Reviews&req=showcontent&id=336. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. 
• "Retro "The making of ..." special – Chuckie Egg". EDGE (February 2003). 

External links

• The Chuckie Egg Professional's Resource Kit at Bagshot Row
• Chuckie Egg at the Open Directory Project
• Chuckie Egg at MobyGames
• Chuckie Egg at World of Spectrum