Alfred Chicken (Game Boy)

Alfred Chicken
Developer: Twilight Publishers: Mindscape (EU/US), Sunsoft (JP) Platform: Game Boy Released in JP: July 25, 1995 Released in US: February 1994 Released in EU: 1993 This game has regional differences.

Alfred Chicken is a platformer that, as the title suggests, sees you play as a chicken named Alfred.

Regional Differences

There are a few minor differences between the European and American versions, but for the most part they're the same game.

The Japanese version, meanwhile, builds on the US version with several new features including an options menu, a map screen, and Super Game Boy compatibility.

Copyright Screen

Europe/US	Japan

Besides crediting Sunsoft on the Japanese version, note that Hookstone Animations are credited instead of Twilight. This is because Twilight gave the rights to the Alfred Chicken IP to its creators, Jason McGann and Pete Tattersall, when they left the company to form Hookstone.

Title Screen

Europe/US	Japan

The Japanese version features a new title screen illustration, as well as selectable options to start the game or go to the options menu.

Options Screen

Europe/US	Japan

In the Japanese version, the options menu is accessed as a menu item on the Title screen. In the European and American versions, the options screen is accessed by pressing the Select button there instead. There are options to disable the music/sound effects and to choose between 1 to 7 starting lives.

Additionally, the Top Score is shown on the Options menu in the Japanese version, whereas the European and American versions show it in the Score Chart, alongside separate scores for each stage.

Map Screen

The map screen is a feature exclusive to the Japanese version. It enables the player to replay earlier stages once cleared, which cannot be done in the European and American versions.

Stage Introduction Screen

Europe/US	Japan

Europe/US	Japan

The stage introduction screen in the European and American versions is rather plain, with only the stage number changing between levels. The Japanese stage introduction screens, on the other hand, feature different illustrations for each stage based on that stage's particular theme. Also, the HUD isn't present on these screens in the Japanese version.

Switches

Europe	US/Japan

In the European version, switches can only be activated by jumping on them. In the American and Japanese versions, it is also possible to activate switches by pecking them.

Stage 10 Layout

Europe	US/Japan

In the European version of Stage 10, there is a door in this room that leads to another room with a balloon and star block switch (necessary to switch off the blocks above Alfred Chicken in the screenshot). In the American and Japanese versions, this room is absent and the door is replaced by the necessary star block switch. As the aforementioned extra room also contains a hidden route leading to the stage's watering can, in the American and Japanese version the route to the watering can is instead accessed by jumping through the left-hand wall (which is solid in the European version) just below the row of star blocks.

The lack of the extra room in the American and Japanese versions also means that the player is only required to release 6 balloons in the stage in those versions, as opposed to 7 in the European version.

Game Over

Europe/US	Japan

The Japanese version offers the player continues after a game over. The Western version does not allow for continuing after a game over.

End Credits

Europe/US	Japan

The European and American versions feature a conventional credits roll in both the good and bad endings.

The Japanese version, for all its additions and refinements, inexplicably removed the credits. Instead, if the good ending is obtained, a "cast roll" is shown featuring images and names of virtually every character, enemy, and item in the game.