Alfred Chicken

Alfred Chicken is a platform game originally created for the Game Boy by developer Twilight and publisher Mindscape. Ports followed for the Amiga, Amiga CD32, and Super NES, releasing in Europe and North America in 1993 and early 1994. (An NES version was prototyped but never officially released.) A Game Boy Color remake called *Alfred's Adventure* came out in Europe in June 2000, developed by Möbius Entertainment and published by SCi. Another remake, also titled *Alfred Chicken*, was made by Möbius's division King Monkey and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation in 2002. Despite Rockstar Games later acquiring Möbius, it does not own the rights to the title; those belong personally to Jason McGann.

In the game, players control Alfred, a chicken navigating levels filled with balloons, telephones, cheese, and other odd items. On the ground, he can walk, jump, and peck balloons or switches. In the air, he can dive-bomb enemies to destroy them or hit springs to bounce much higher. Missing both leaves him stuck in the ground briefly. To clear a level, Alfred must peck all balloons; the last one triggers a boss fight. Dying sends him back to an egg at the last balloon pecked. In the Super NES version, finding a big balloon instead gives a Stage Clear. Power-ups include answering a phone in secret areas to get a pot of jam from Mr. Pekles, a giant flower, which lets Alfred fire a bouncing bomb that collects items and hurts enemies. Another power-up is a spinning worm from a can of worms that destroys enemies on contact.

The original Game Boy version has two revisions: a monochrome original and a Super Game Boy version with a level select feature, the latter developed by Hookstone and released by Sunsoft in Japan. The Amiga port matches the Game Boy game but adds color graphics and higher resolution. The NES version is a stripped-down port with only five levels taken from the Game Boy original. The Super NES game, *Super Alfred Chicken*, uses the same mechanics but has completely different level layouts and functions as a sequel; it received mediocre reviews. The PlayStation version, released only in the PAL region in 2002, features 2.5D action and is a new game, not a port, developed by Möbius and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.