Chicken Wiggle (Nintendo 3DS) Second Opinion Review

Chicken Wiggle is one of those rare platformers that just feels good to play. While its mechanics are pretty simple, they're executed well through tight and responsive controls, and really clever level design. While the ideas and mechanics presented might not be anything new, they're executed in a way that makes each level just as exciting as the last.

The main mechanic that sets Chicken Wiggle apart is the worm that rides on the protagonist's back, Banjo-Kazooie style. The worm allows the chicken he rides on to hookshot across the level, Zelda style, to any surface in one of the four main D-pad directions. This mechanic really ties the levels together, and makes for some very fun segments where the player can chain shots across half of a level.

The various levels scattered across the eight in-game worlds don't really have a particular theme that ties them together; rather, they mix and incorporate any of the elements the game has to offer. Platforms that time out or appear invisible until touched, or enemies that move when the jump button is pressed, are just some of the examples of stage hazards to be found.

The stages always make sense, though. Mechanics that go together generally end up represented together in stages. The jumping spiders that move whenever the chicken jumps are often paired up with coloured blocks that appear and disappear alternatively as the jump key is pressed. Levels generally lean towards precise platforming, but there's a nice mix of dexterity challenges and simple puzzles to work through as well.

Some levels can feel randomly punishing, but slowing down and thinking through each action will generally prevent random deaths. This tempo swing can feel a little jarring, but getting a good bearing of the surroundings saves a lot more time than resuming the level from an earlier checkpoint. There's still some small bits of trial and error, but almost every challenge should be well within the player's ability by the time they reach it.

The levels are fairly short, each easily completed in under five minutes. While they do have some optional collectibles in each level (100 gems, plus the letters that spell out "fun), Chicken Wiggle is still easily completable in under six hours. It's definitely possible a few things will be missed here and there, but the hidden objectives usually only require a little extra pecking around to find.

Luckily, there's a vast level builder to supplement the relatively short main game. Every tool available in the main campaign, from enemies, to unusual blocks, to power-ups, is all available to be remixed into brand-new player-created levels. This adds a massive amount of replayability to an already solid platformer, and really make Chicken Wiggle worth revisiting from time to time, just to see what new levels have been uploaded by the community.