Chicken Invaders

Chicken Invaders is a series of shoot 'em up video games, developed by InterAction Studios and released for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux systems. Currently, there are four video games in the series, along with four special editions.

The main theme of the game is a battle between a lone combat spacecraft and a technologically-advanced race of space-faring chickens intent on subjugating (and later destroying) Earth. The games make heavy use of humour, especially in form of parodies of Galaxian, Star Wars and Star Trek.

Chicken Invaders 2: The Next Wave

Chicken Invaders 2: The Next Wave is the second game in the series. It can be played by one or two players.^[1] 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, each of which consists of 10 waves of attacking hostiles. In all the waves, chickens attack by dropping eggs which have to be dodged.^[1]

Player may collect different items that helps him 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.^[1]

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.^[1]

InterAction Studios has also released Chicken Invaders 2: Christmas Edition in which eggs are replaced with Christmas balls and drumsticks are replaced with holly leaves.

Chicken Invaders 3: Revenge of the Yolk

Chicken Invaders 3: Revenge of the Yolk 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.^[2] There are 30 bonuses.^[2] 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 which are unlocked after repeatedly completing the game.^[2]

The plot has the hero heading to Space Burger, famished as usual, when a twinkling behind the sun was spotted. When the hero arrives at that twinkling, he comes upon a giant egg currently under construction, that may or may not be built out of parts of the Mother Hen ship from the last adventure.

This egg, known as the Yolk Star, sends out a simple boss chicken to dispose of the hero. But, the player easily destroys it, and then taunts the yolk star. This makes the yolk star angry, so it fires up its lasers to destroy the hero, but instead pushes him into a black hole. The player arrives at the other end of the galaxy, (100,000 light years from the solar system, to be exact.) and battles his way back home.

By the time he gets home, the yolk star is completely built and is almost ready to begin its assault on Earth. Our hero barely makes it in time and begins his assault on the yolk star. He destroys the yolk's shell, and the yolk attempts to retreat, but the player is in hot pursuit, and annihilates the yolk with a resulting explosion followed. Our hero is then congratulated by the narrator, and continues his order at the space burger. "And so, we leave our hero to rest in his laurels, until his Earth-saving abilities are needed again... But that's another story."

Chicken Invaders 4: Ultimate Omelette

Chicken Invaders 4: Ultimate Omelette is the fourth game in the series (UO) and is similar to Revenge of the Yolk. It has 120 waves across 12 levels. It includes weapons which can be upgraded through 11 power levels, with a supercharged 12th level. 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. 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 plot begins with the player/hero at Space Burger. An intergalactic portal suddenly opens and a ship known as the millennium hatch-ling comes out. The pilot says his name is Hen Solo and urges the hero to follow him to his galaxy to see the Chickens' latest creation. Eventually convincing him, the hero and Hen solo proceed through the portal to a whole different galaxy.

The hero is separated from Hen solo, and flies right into the barrel of the chickens' gargantuan device. Immediately flying out of the way, the hero watches as the machine fires a humongous egg at a battle station that looks very much like the death star from star wars, and the battle station is easily destroyed. The narrator then realizes that the player has stumbled across some kind of testing site for the chickens' "latest contraption of doom". The machine then leaves the scene, and the hero is attacked by a horde of chicken invaders, which he destroys quickly with the help of a brand new weapon, the Boron Rail-gun. The player also discovers satellite weapons, and uses them every so often until they run out of ammo.

The hero then stops at a nearby star system as Hen solo reunites with him, and explains that he emerged a couple star systems away, explaining why the hero was separated from his partner. Hen solo then explains that the machine known as the Vitelline Molecular Propulsor, (Or the Egg Cannon) is on its way to Earth, and it is programmed to fire a huge egg at the planet Earth, and then let the sun's heat cook the egg, causing the surface of Earth to encrust and destroy the planet.

The two characters team up and proceed through the galaxy to stop the Egg Cannon. After a fight with a Giant robotic Space-crab, The hero and Hen solo split up and take 2 separate routes that the egg cannon could have taken. The Hero meets the Egg Cannon on his route, but the Mother Hen-ship stops him before he can destroy the Egg Cannon. After eliminating the mother Hen-ship, the hero finds Hen Solo, and tells him what happened. Hen Solo then says for the hero to head to the galactic core to stop the egg cannon, and leaves to protect his own galaxy.

Our hero continues his journey with the narrator as his guide and companion as he makes it to the core. Instead of the egg cannon, he finds a planetary egg city made by the chickens, and quickly destroys it. Hen solo arrives shortly afterwards, and says that the Egg cannon jumped through the black hole in the center of the galactic core, and says that the hero must go through the black hole. The hero reluctantly agrees since he has no choice. He then arrives at a mysterious galaxy in which he must escape from to proceed with his mission.

The hero flies through another portal, arriving at a star system that is about to explode and go SUPERNOVA. The narrator explains that there is a chance of getting out of this mess by flying towards the explosion and through the black hole that forms in the center of the explosion. The hero once again agrees because there is no other option, and flies through the black hole. He arrives back at the galaxy where the egg cannon was recently, and realizes that he is going in circles. He is then confronted by a group of chickens that appear from a nearby planet.

After escaping the attack, he flies through another portal and arrives at the Space Burger corporation's home galaxy. The narrator realizes the Space Burger Corporation has a way of supplying its stores, including the ones in the milky way. He also discovers that they might be using a complex network of portals that lead to multiple galaxies. The hero follows a supply droid and eventually finds a portal to home, but not before wreaking havoc in the headquarters, not to mention destroying the main machine known as the "Iron Chef".

After arriving near the center of the milky way, the hero makes his way to the solar system and confronts the egg cannon just as it's approaching Earth. After a long battle, The hero wins and once again returns to the Space Burger, and goes back to his lunch-ordering. "Let us leave our hero to a well-deserved rest; Content in the knowledge that our little home in the milky way is once again safe. For now..."

The game ends in an epilogue with hundreds of Space Burger Security droids heading towards the Hero's position. To be continued?...

References

External links

• InterAction Studios