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Platform: GameCube Genre: Platformer Publisher: Sega Developer: SONICTEAM ETA: Q4 2003
Related Links: Action Figure: Sonic the Hedgehog
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Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
Of all the new terms that came out of E3 this year, the one I remember most is, “Magic Rooster Suit!” Let’s all say it together. “Magic Rooster Suit!” Forget terms like “emergent gameplay” because Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is headed to GameCube and here’s the official lowdown: Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka and SONICTEAM return with their first all-new platform game since the Sega Saturn era! Darkness has fallen upon a once-magical land. An evil King who seeks to rule with an everlasting night has captured the creatures that inhabit this realm. Now, a young boy must use the powers of a legendary suit [that would be the Magic Rooster Suit!] to control special eggs in order to restore light to the land. Gamers will collect magical eggs, use them to solve puzzles and nurture them with items found while exploring the world. Gamers will be able to hatch the eggs and discover magical creatures with a variety of skills, introducing a strategic planning element to the combat and puzzles. Players will explore massive, colorful environments, each with their own missions and secrets, and then defeat the evil boss of each stage. It’s up to Billy Hatcher to return light to the land! Features: Use special eggs and the animals that hatch from them to solve puzzles, navigate a variety of environments and defeat enemies. Explore a vast 3D world with many huge stages to uncover secrets and find hidden items. Tackle a wide range of unique missions for multiple gameplay experiences. Battle with up to four-players in split-screen play.
Raise your hand if you remember Sega’s Saturn system. The ill-fated system never quite got the head of steam it might have deserved – and it must have had some serious affects on |
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SONICTEAM. Not since the Saturn has SONICTEAM produced an all-new platformer? It sounds like they were a bit jaded with the whole experience but it’s obvious the downtime was well spent drinking heavily, working on a farm and thinking how cool it would be to be a rooster.
The platformer influences are readily apparent – the “save the world” story, the vibrant colors, big 3D worlds, a unique protagonist – but it still looks to be more than just an upgraded Sonic the Hedgehog, even while being able to draw parallels between the two. |
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The ever-important eggs actually look like they’ll make a difference to gameplay instead of just being a gimmick. It’s more complex than just pressing the jump button (like in most of Sonic’s adventures) but not overly so which means a more accessible experience. The implementation is good for a game that’s still 6 months or so from release.
Multiplayer could be a good addition as long as it's not just tacked on for the sake of having multiplayer. Go all the way or don't include it. But guys running around in rooster suits and heaving eggs at each other presents some interesting multiplayer options. (How about a Scrambled Eggs capture the flag mode?) Even though Billy Hatcher has a “kiddie” vibe – not helping to dispel the GameCube’s kiddie image (i.e. Not featuring any dismemberment) – you can bet young and old will be taking a crack at Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg when it ships Q4 2003. - Omni (June 1, 2003) |
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