Before 1991, you wouldn't have believed a hedgehog could become a baddie-busting superhero. Now, Sega has again found a new star in the unlikeliest of animals: the humble chicken.
Designed by Sonic Team, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg does for chickens what Sonic the Hedgehog did for small spiny animals. The star of the show is Billy - an ordinary kid who becomes a chicken-suited saviour when his home is plunged into darkness by a horde of mischievous crows. The crows have captured the elders of the chicken people and sealed them inside golden eggs. So it's up to Billy to battle the birds, rescue the elders and restore light to the land.
Alone, Billy is powerless against the feathered fiends. But placed throughout the levels are giant eggs, which Billy can roll around to squash his enemies. Billy can also use eggs to bounce up to higher levels or smash down on enemies in a devastating piledriver move. Defeating an enemy leaves behind a piece of fruit, which Billy must collect to 'feed' his egg, making it grow even bigger. Once you've collected enough fruit, the egg will be ready to hatch. Then press the R button to make Billy perform his rooster call, and the egg will crack to reveal a cute animal inside. There are dozens of different eggs to find, each with a different animal (or sometimes a special item) to collect.
Some animals restore Billy's energy or grant him an extra life, while others join Billy as back-up weapons (if you can call a baby penguin a weapon!). There's even a mysterious egg that is rumoured to contain a blue hedgehog. Hmm, wonder who that could be...?
As well as the main story mode, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg features a battle mode for up to four players. There are three multiplayer games to choose from: Time Battle, Survival Battle and Hatch Battle. Time Battle is a race against the clock to defeat the most opponents. In Survival Battle, players fight each other until one wins. And Hatch Battle is a race to hatch the most eggs. Plus, you can even download mini-games to play on a Game Boy Advance (using the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable) by hatching special eggs found in the main game.
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is a crazy adventure with a sense of humour that will have you grinning from ear to ear. Plus you'll never look at a chicken in the same way again...
This description was provided by the publisher.
© SONICTEAM / SEGA, 2003