Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg

This game's got a dang freaky story. The evil Dark Raven has turned the Chicken Elders into eggs, so the chicken god Menie-Funie calls Billy Hatcher to bring morning to the land. To hatch the elders you are given a rooster suit. And there's the story.

The game play is unique- using that rooster suit of yours, you get an egg, roll it around. Find some enemies, and then use the egg to beat them up. They drop fruit, and that's how they hatch and stuff. Hatch them- you could get a monster or an item. These things can seriously help you out on Billy's quest.

Graphics are pretty nice. They support a cartoony feel for younger gamers, and the characters show comical expressions on their faces to light up the face of a little kid. It's a nice touch to such a great game.

Sound is neat- it has simple guitar tunes, and then some odd little jingles. It's not a butt-rock collection, just a kid-friendly soundtrack.

Extras are basically if you collect enough chick coins you can unlock Sonic Team character eggs, like Sonic, Nights, the works. And if you hatch the right eggs, you can unlock GBA downloadable mini-games.

The bottom line is that Sonic Team made a good game when the last original game they made was 7 years ago. I'm just glad it made me SOO happy to own. I recommend it to platformer fans or Sonic Team fans or just some gamer that needs an original game.

The game-play itself, while simple, offers up a really good time. The premise is simple. Your friends have been encapsulated in eggs, by a group of Evil, Black Crows...and it's up to you to save the day. Just how you go about doing this is where the adventure begins. In "Morning Land", the eggs themselves are your only means of defense. By rolling them over enemies, bounce jumping with them on top of foes, and by egg shooting (which resembles a yo-yo like approach), you clear the path for victory

As you roll them about the land, you must also constantly be on the lookout for the various fruits scattered about the land in which to feed your egg. By rolling over them, your egg's yolk level increases...until finally it's ready to hatch. Now a simple press of the "R" button makes Billy let out a war cry of sorts (well it's actually a rooster crow), which in turn hatches the mature egg. Once free of its shell, the newly freed animal is yours to call upon in battle. Each animal brings with it the power to harness four powerful forces.... fire, water, wind, and ice. Make no mistake about it though; this game is all real time action, with an RPG feel thrown in for good measure.

By the time you pry your hands of this game, you'll walk away feeling that you truly played something special. Sega and Nintendo really pulled it off with this title. It's quality for the whole family, and I just can't say enough good things about it. With the exception of its limited difficulty (skilled players will breeze through it), Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg really shines. Don't let the fun pass you by.

"alankelly"