Overview – developed by Sewer Cat and published by Eastasiasoft, Super Chicken Jumper is an auto scrolling platformer with run n’ gun action. As the super spy, Chicken, you must travel the world, take down monsters and stop the evil organisation that is trying to take over the world. This title is available on all major platforms, with a link to each version of the game available at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Super Chicken Jumper that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
So with the introductons out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story.
Story – the world is in danger, as evil forces from the past have resurfaced to destroy the world. The only individual that Mrs President can trust to save our lives is the super sectrect agent, Spy-chicken. Armed with a variety of weapons and accessories, Chicken must travel the world, assisted by the different agents that are stationed in the different locations. To save the world Chicken must battle monsters and take down the evil organisation on his adventure.
Gameplay – Super chicken Jumper is an action runner game, with the core objective being to get to the end of each set of stages and defeat the boss. The screen scrolls automatically, with the player having to move and jump over obstacles, while also having the ability to destroy hazards on screen with a variety of different weapons.
Each of the games worlds are broken up into stages, with each of the standard stages having a predetermined distance that needs to be covered in order to reach the goal. At the end of each world, there is a boss battle that pits the player against a giant enemy that is themed to that zone. Between the different stages, story scenes will play out through dialogue Mrs President and the anime girl agents of those zones.
At set points during the game, new items will be awarded to the player. These items are separated into weapons and accessories. The weapons include a knife, boomerang and a gun, with each of the weapons having their own damage amounts and attack speed. On the flip side is the accessories that can be collected, which are made up of items that provide bonuses for the player, like increased jump height and hovering.
The different items can be swapped freely when unlocked, making for a flexible experience where the player can mix things up to alter the difficulty on offer. If a stage is more challenging, then a different item may make it a little easier to get through, or an easier stage may be made harder by changing the items equipped.
Aside from the main story mode, there is additional content that can be unlocked. There is an optional challenge mode, with missions that are tied to a zone that has been cleared. Alongside the challenges is the endless mode, a special competitive mode where players have one life to get as far as possible. The highest distance score for each of the zones is submitted to the leaderboard, allowing players to compete for the top spot.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control method for this release is very simple, with only two buttons and the control sticks being used for most of the game. The inputs for jumping and attacks are on the face and triggers, giving players easy access to fit their play style. The rest of the inputs are for accessing menus and restarting a level if the player dies. The only hiccup with the controls is that the aim for certain weapons is on the right stick which can make aiming tough during frantic sections.
Difficulty – the challenge for this title has a lot of peaks and valleys during play, with easy stages then sudden spikes in difficulty. This can be jarring, but the short length of stages and the infinite retry system that the game has can help. It can take a few attamepts to get through a stage as the elements and hazards are randomised, which are sometimes frustrating for players. But the challenges of this game can be overcome with enough time taken.
Presentation – the visual style for Super Chicken Jumper is pleasing to the eye, with old school style pixel art that has a lot of detail to it. The game runs at a solid frame rate throughout, with vibrant and bold sprite work that works in this games favour. There is no voice acting for this title, however, the game makes up for this with some very good music and solid sound effects. This makes for a good overall package.
Final Thoughts – overall I had a good time with Super Chicken Jumper, as the gameplay has a simple loop but is very challenging throughout. The sudden difficulty spikes can be frustrating, but with enough time and patience all of the stages can be overcome. There is also a lot of replay value for the low asking price, as the additional modes provide more for players to enjoy outside the story mode. I can easily recommend this game, as it is simple and fun with a lot of charm to it.
In the end, I give Super Chicken Jumper a final score of 4/5. This is a fun and charming game, but can have frustrating difficulty spikes with the random generation of stages. However, there is a lot of content on offer for players and the replay value with extra modes is a nice bonus. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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