era for Nintendo...if they remember the system at all. But for me? That system was anything

but a disappointment. I loved the GameCube. I loved the form factor, I loved the controller...I

loved the handle.

Speaking of handles, I loved how...weird, the GameCube was. I mean, it launched with

this weird Luigi game, that riffed on Ghostbusters. It debuted characters like Chibi Robo and

Pikmin, these weird new franchises. It turned Zelda into a cartoon, and it had this entire

list of exclusives that were, if nothing else...weird.

Exclusives like Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg.

So this game came from the same people who brought you games like Samba de Amigo, ChuChu

Rocket...and uh, something called the "Sonic the Hedgehog." Never heard of it. Nonetheless,

this "Sonic Team" certainly had a pedigree for these bright, colorful and...really eccentric

ideas.

And in Billy Hatcher, that's as clear as day.

A sunny day.

With...35 rainbows and cascades of falling fruit in the sky.

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg puts you in control of Billy Hatcher. See, Billy's in

a bind, because...the chicken world has been assaulted by an army of crows, who have brought

about this eternal night. Obviously, that's a problem...for chickens. What with the cock-a-doodle-doo,

and everything. So Billy Hatcher sets out to bring back the morning. By rolling giant

eggs...and, hatching monsters, from them.

You know. The obvious tactical choice.

So what all that boils down to, in terms of gameplay, is...this amalgamation of SEGA,

things. Take the physics-based experience of Monkey Ball, add the high-speed rolling

attacks and the rails you know from Sonic...throw in some chickens.

Man, the GameCube was so weird!

So it works like this. You move Billy Hatcher with the analog stick, and since he has a

chicken suit, obviously...he can push giant eggs. And these eggs are really the crux of

the gameplay. You can roll them into the bad guys like a pinball, you can use them to bounce

into the air...but of course, you also have to keep the egg safe.

That means not falling off ledges, and not letting enemies smash it.

As you crush enemies, they leave behind little pieces of fruit. And if you can roll your

egg over the fruit, your egg starts to grow. Eventually, the thing gets huge, and it starts

glowing. Once that happens, you can actually hatch the egg to release this Pokemon-like

monster, which has special abilities that can help you. So again, those eggs are really

everything in Billy Hatcher.

The game is completely and cleverly designed around the concept.

Of course, with that comes a lot of complexity. That's the interesting thing about Billy Hatcher.

This may look like a silly kids game, but it's actually a brilliant action-puzzler,

more than anything. One that takes serious skill to play. The physics are terrific, the

puzzles are genuinely tricky...this is really a surprisingly smart game.

Despite the fact that...you know. You're dressed like a chicken.

You know, a lot has changed for Nintendo since 2003. They've released much more successful

consoles, of course...but they've also become a company from which you expect creativity.

But I think the seeds for that reputation were really planted by the GameCube, and all

its lovably weird games.

Billy Hatcher was never exactly considered a masterpiece, but on the GameCube...SEGA's

quirky game about chicken eggs fit right in.