Developer: ChocobajiApps
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone
 
iHop: Getaway Chicken comes from developer ChocobajiApps, who is also responsible for the Crazy Control series. This is a fun, simple, easy-to-pick-up-and-play iOS title.
Users take control of a chicken on the getaway. A friendly pig neighbor frees the chicken from its coop, and it’s immediately on the run. Makes enough sense — because otherwise, it’s for dinner. The goal of the game is to maneuver the chicken along its escape for as long as possible. Should users fail, the farmer catches and cooks the bird.
The mechanics of the title make it a simple game that’s easy to grasp. Users tilt their device to move the chicken forward. The chicken automatically jumps – this is not something user control. However, they can tap on the screen to cause it to jump a second time in the air. Likewise, they can also tap the other side of the screen to shoot an egg, perfect for taking out enemies. iHop: Getaway Chicken is a game of timing and precision. As the chicken hops along, users will have to carefully maneuver it, making certain it lands on narrow platforms and avoids enemies.
From level to level, the scenery changes and the obstacles increase in difficulty. But the goal never changes – keep on hopping to freedom. There are, however, additional goals users can complete. As users complete these extra “missions” – stuff like collecting 5 eggs , knocking out 5 bats, as well as many others goals – they’ll be rewarded with power-ups. The gameplay is rather simple, but there is that extra challenge for users who want it.
There’s a lot to like about iHop: Getaway Chicken. The gameplay is ideal for those times when users want something to play for a couple of minutes but don’t want to get too involved in a game. Likewise, it’s a nice touch that it features numerous “game over” scenes – each showing the chicken being cooked in a different manner. However, there are some shortcomings. The main menu features a bunch of icons that feature options and info, but the icons are tiny and difficult to interpret. This is a pet peeve of mine – when games do this. More importantly, the game doesn’t have a lot of lasting appeal, as it’s very simple and lacks much depth. The game is on the repetitive side and probably won’t be something users will go back to many times.
Despite some complaints here and there, this is not a bad little title, though it’s a little pricey at $2.00 and lacks lasting appeal.