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Chuckie Egg

You don't need to be a chef to poach eggs!

Before we start let me lay (you like what I did there?) something to rest. Despite what everyone tries to tell you, Chuckie Egg was not originally created for the BBC computer. Chuckie Egg is 100% a Spectrum game. It is easy to see how the story got scrambled though as the original game was only half complete when a spotty Nigel Alderton (aged 16 1/4;) took his Spectrum code to A'n'F Software with high hopes for fame and fortune. Not wanting to put all their chuckies in one basket, A'n'F decided that the Spectrum game and its BBC conversion would be developed side by side. But rest assured that the Spectrum was the chicken and BBC the egg (or should that be the other way around?).

Hen-House Harry is our diminutive hero and his task is to run through each of the eight barns snaffling a dozen eggs from each. Along the way he must avoid deadly chickens that would be only too happy to peck his pixel eye out. This isn't surprising really when you consider that Harry can also deprive the poor creatures of their seed to gain time and points bonuses. He may be a wimp when it comes to Cock fighting (yes, I know that technically these are Hens) but Triple-H does possess the bionic ability to withstand huge falls, which certainly helps as you rush between the ladders, lifts and platforms.

It is never made quite clear what Harry plans to do with the eggs once his task is complete, after a few plays a Chicken Omelette will sound very appetising indeed!

The inclusion of a giant caged duck (we'll call him Ed) raises a few questions (not least the moral question of cross-breeding), but play through the standard levels and Ed is set free to fly around the screen with even more menace than those clucking hens. Further play throughs then see Ed and his ladies team up to defend their potential offspring and you will need to prove that you're no chicken if Chuckie Egg is to be beaten.

8 / 10