CHUCKIE EGG: ELECTRON
Chuckie Egg ELECTRON Screenshot 1 Chuckie Egg ELECTRON Screenshot 2 Chuckie Egg ELECTRON Screenshot 3 Chuckie Egg ELECTRON Screenshot 4 Chuckie Egg ELECTRON Screenshot 5

Release Factoids

Format: ELECTRON
Author: Doug Anderson
Year of Release: 1984
Publishing Label: A&F
Default Keys: Up A   Down Z   Left <   Right >   Jump SPACE
Joystick Supported: No
Cheats or POKEs:

SET INITIAL NUMBER OF LIVES & LEVEL SKIP:
Type the following at the BASIC prompt:
*LOAD CH_EGG
?&2CE2 = <nl> : REM nl = No. of Lives
                REM (0-255 where 0==256)
?&2CDE = <sl> : REM sl = Start Level-1
                REM (0-255)
CALL &2A6E
INFINITE LIVES:
Type the following at the BASIC prompt:
*LOAD CH_EGG
?&2B18 = &A9
CALL &2A6E
INVULNERABILITY TO HENS & MOTHER DUCK:
Type the following at the BASIC prompt:
*LOAD CH_EGG
?&2ABA = &A9
CALL &2A6E
Source: M. Ford - Electron User Group EUG #21, July 1995.

CHANGE DEFAULT KEYS TO COMMON ELECTRON GAME KEYS:
Type the following at the BASIC prompt:
*LOAD CH_EGG
?&2BF8 = &B6 : REM RETURN for jump
?&2BFC = &B7 : REM : for up
?&2C00 = &97 : REM / for down
?&2C04 = &9E : REM Z for left
?&2C08 = &BD : REM X for right
CALL &2A6E
The default keys are stored as BBC BASIC hexadecimal INKEY values.

ALTER GAME-SPEED:
Type the following at the BASIC prompt:
*LOAD CH_EGG
?&1BA0 = <Speed (0=fast, 3=normal, 255=v slow!)>
CALL &2A6E
Upgraded and hacked variants with alternative levels and built-in cheats are also provided with the Resource Kit as BBC Micro disk images.
Emulator: MESS - Acorn Electron driver
BIOS images required:
Acorn Electron driver: electron.zip [CRC32 #C0987664]
Emulator Platform-Specific Usage Instructions:
Install MESS and The Chuckie Egg Professional's Resource Kit.
Load the ChuckieEgg_E.zip cassette image from the Resource Kit into the MESS Acorn Electron driver. At the BASIC prompt > type CHAIN "CHUCKIE" and hit Enter to load Chuckie Egg.
Notes: This re-implementation looks and feels so close to the BBC 32K original, it's only really possible to tell them apart due to the fact that this rewrite reduces the number of colours on-screen and makes the hens the same colour as the ladders. Hence, the BBC 32K-specific gameplay skills apply equally to the ELECTRON release. Check the gameplay section for more information. The CHUCK-2 hack, also provided in the Resource Kit, can be modified to create custom level layouts.
Review: Essentially, this is visually identical to the BBC 32K release - the only differences being the change of MODE for the instruction screen displayed whilst the game loads (as the Electron did not support the BBC Micro's teletext Mode 7) and slightly different colours through the game - notably the hens are now the same colour as the ladders. This re-implementation was required as the ELECTRON was too slow to run the original BBC 32K release, with it's MODE 2 graphics and extra coloured hens (though, interestingly, some magazines had letters from people that used the BBC version on the Electron to allow younger children and people with disabilities to enjoy CE at a less frantic pace!).
Although written in a completely different mode - MODE 5 - the graphics, and gameplay, are identical to the beeb, albeit less colourful. There are only four colours in use, but this is adequate and the release does not suffer from any colour clashes. The sprites look good and move well, and the sound effects fit the gameplay nicely. What truly sets this release apart though is the sheer playability. Pure Chuckie Egg.