History YMMV / ChickenInvaders

** Photon Swarm in ''Universe'' can be this, as its widespread combined with homing allows you to kill enemies from an angle where they can't reach you (as most projectiles are going straight down or up to 45 degree angle), so you remain safe most of the time. It also allows you to make narrow escapes from projectiles [[DeathOfAThousandCuts while continuously shooting the bosses]]. Works especially well with overdrive due to its low heating rate.

*** [[AnIcePerson Chiller Chickens]] hurl snowballs aimed at you that won't destroy your ship on contact, but will instead seriously slow it down to 10% of the original speed, and will also obscure an a small area around your ship of the screen for a few seconds. Effects might have short duration, but getting slowed down can be extremely dangerous as that can render you unable to avoid projectiles, enemies and other hazards, especially when there are lots of them and when the snowballs move really fast on higher difficulties.

** [[MookLieutenant Chickenauts]]. Very hard to take down, they fire a burst of 3 neutron bolts at random directions, making them unpredictable on higher difficulties. And it is possible to run into waves that feature a LOT of them on higher difficulty missions in ''Universe''.

* GoddamnedBats: [[CowardlyMooks Coward Chickens]] introduced in ''Universe'' will always try to avoid your ship's line of sight, and when hit, they [[AttackReflector drop poop]] towards you. Refrain from using ScratchDamage weapons like Photon Swarm, and even though Plasma Rifle can OneHitKill those things, try not to channel the beam at targets near Cowards because the beam forms a nova that damages enemies around the target slightly, inviting the Cowards' streams of poop as a result of taking ScratchDamage! [[DisintegratorRay Absolver Beam]] is your best weapon for dealing with them as it can destroy enemy projectiles when fully charged.

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] in "Universe" not only has a very good damage output, but also can get a SpreadShot the longer you fire it, which makes it very good in waves that contain lots of enemies and hazards like Comet Chase, Asteroid Vortex, Chicken Multiplicity, Chicken Exponentiality, etc. This is a double-edged tactic, however, as the spread may not be useful in waves with only few and lone enemies, additionally, you also need to be careful to not let it [[Overheating overheat]] while firing.

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] from ''4'' onwards was seen as inferior to Boron Railgun introduced in the same game. ''Universe'' not only improved its damage output, it also gave it the ability to turn into a makeshift SpreadShot by having its shots fire in increasingly random directions as heat levels rises, which can give it an edge in levels with multiple enemies and hazards like [[AsteroidsMonster Chicken Multiplicity]].

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] in "Universe" not only has a very good damage output, but also can get a SpreadShot spread-fire the longer you fire it, which makes it very good in waves that contain lots of enemies and hazards like Comet Chase, Asteroid Vortex, Chicken Multiplicity, Chicken Exponentiality, etc. This is a double-edged tactic, however, as the spread may not be useful in waves with only few and lone enemies, additionally, you also need to be careful to not let it [[Overheating overheat]] while firing.

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] in "Universe" not only has a very good damage output, but also can get a [[SpreadShot spread-fire]] the longer you fire it, which makes it very good in waves that contain lots of enemies and hazards like Comet Chase, Asteroid Vortex, Chicken Multiplicity, Chicken Exponentiality, etc. This is a double-edged tactic, however, as the spread may not be useful in waves with only few and lone enemies, additionally, you also need to be careful to not let it [[Overheating overheat]] while firing.

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] in "Universe" not only has a very good damage output, but also can get a spread fire the longer you fire it, which makes it very good in waves that contain lots of enemies and hazards like Comet Chase, Asteroid Vortex, Chicken Multiplicity, Chicken Exponentiality, etc. This is a double-edged tactic, however, as the spread may not be useful in waves with only few and lone enemies, additionally, you also need to be careful to not let it [[Overheating overheat]] while firing.

** [[DiscOneNuke Neutron Gun]]

* GoddamnedBats: [[CowardlyMooks Coward Chickens]] introduced in ''Universe'' will always try to avoid your ship's line of sight, and when hit, they [[AttackReflector drop poop]] towards you. Refrain from using ScratchDamage weapons like Photon Swarm, and even though Plasma Rifle can OneHitKill those things, try not to channel the beam at targets near Cowards because the beam forms a nova that damages enemies around the target slightly, inviting the Cowards' streams of poop as a result of taking ScratchDamage!

** [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter Vulcan Chaingun]] from ''4'' onwards was seen as inferior to Boron Railgun introduced in the same game. ''Universe'' not only improved its damage output, it also gave it the ability to turn into a makeshift SpreadShot by having its shots fire in increasingly random directions as heat levels rises, which can give it an edge in [[AsteroidsMonster Chicken Multiplicity]].

** Averted in later updates for ''Universe'', where it uses the attack introduced in the phase every time the fight advances to the next phase.

*** On the topic of [=UFOs=], there are aliens piloting in [=UFOs=] that fire a blue laser. Not only they are hard to take down and then dropping their saucer when destroyed, their lasers are hard to react toward. Fortunately, they appear in the waves Shoot and Scoot, Nasty Surprise and Divide and Conquer, but those waves are made [[ThatOneLevel That One Wave]] as a result.

* WidgetSeries: This is a shmup series where you [[SincerityMode shoot chickens in space]] (and a literal turkey shoot in the fourthgame's [[HolidayMode Thanksgiving edition]]), which drop roasted chickens and burgers as well as weapon PowerUps in the form of presents, alongside the typical space shooter tropes of shooting down asteroids and random [=UFOs=].

* SelfImposedChallenge: You can start missions with only one life, with no satellites or secondary weapons, and with customizable skill levels for missions, you can play missions with a 90-100% difficulty rating and a high skill modifier to [[BrokeTheRatingScale play missions with a difficulty exceeding 100%]].

** [[ActionBomb Toxic Chickens]] introduced in ''Universe''. They leave behind a cloud of poison gas when destroyed, not too threatening when they are far from your ship, but depending on the wave's layout, like having them at the bottom of the screen or near your ship, they become very frightening to deal with due to their gas upon death.
** [[PinataEnemy Slob Chickens]] drop food every time you damage them, but occasionally fire a poop of rings when damaged, making them unpredictable on higher difficulties. Absolver Beam remedies this by being a OneHitKill when strongly charged, denying those enemies of dropping their poop rings as a result.
** [[PlayingWithFire Phoenix Chickens]]. Touching their fireballs won't blow up your ship, but instead overheat your ship, putting you out of action for a while and leave you more vulnerable to other attacks, which is bad news. Not helped by the fact the fireballs move really fast on higher difficulties.

* ThatOneBoss: See [[ThatOneBoss/ChickenInvaders here.]]

** Introduced in ''Universe'', [[DisintegratorRay Absolver Beam]] requires the player to hold the fire button to release a piercing laser, with its damage dependent on [[ChargeMeter how long the fire button is held]]. Pathetic damage output from rapid fire forcing the player to charge the laser for maximum damage, narrow range and very fast heating rate makes it unideal for standard wave clearing. However, in certain waves that involve single targets like Technological Advances and Armored Division, waves where chickens are packed in columns like Dazzling Coordination and Ultimate Extreme Square Dancing, and waves where chickens are bundled up into a pile like Bow Ties Are Cool and the newly introduced Tangled Mess, Absolver Beam shines in those waves by melting a crapton of chickens lined up in its crossfire swiftly. It ''[[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman excels]]'' at boss-clearing thanks to its piercing ability and being able to '''[[DestructibleProjectiles remove projectiles]]''' when strongly charged, which are nowhere to be found in other normal weapons. Did we mention that it can '''''stop certain bosses' attacks''''', like force fields and rotating lasers, by firing the strongly charged beam at its midpoint (you have to memorize it, though) when the boss channels those attacks? [[DifficultButAwesome Play your cards right]] when using Absolver Beam, and it can turn many bosses into a joke, especially those that are considered ThatOneBoss, such as the Henperor's Apprentice, [[TacticalSuicideBoss Bossa Nova]] and the [[ShieldedCoreBoss Supernova Core]].

** Introduced in ''Universe'', [[DisintegratorRay Absolver Beam]] requires the player to hold the fire button to release a piercing laser, with its damage dependent on [[ChargeMeter how long the fire button is held]]. Pathetic damage output from rapid fire forcing the player to charge the laser for maximum damage, narrow range and very fast heating rate makes it unideal for standard wave clearing. However, in certain waves that involve single targets like Technological Advances and Armored Division, waves where chickens are packed in columns like Dazzling Coordination and Ultimate Extreme Square Dancing, and waves where chickens are bundled up into a pile like Bow Ties Are Cool and the newly introduced Tangled Mess, Absolver Beam shines in those waves by melting a crapton of chickens lined up in its crossfire swiftly.
*** Furthermore, it ''[[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman excels]]'' at boss-clearing thanks to its piercing ability and being able to '''[[DestructibleProjectiles remove projectiles]]''' when strongly charged, which are nowhere to be found in other normal weapons. Did we mention that it can '''''stop certain bosses' attacks''''', like force fields and rotating lasers, by firing the strongly charged beam at its midpoint (you have to memorize it, though) when the boss channels those attacks? [[DifficultButAwesome Play your cards right]] when using Absolver Beam, and it can turn many bosses into a joke, especially those that are considered ThatOneBoss, such as the Henperor's Apprentice, [[TacticalSuicideBoss Bossa Nova]] and the [[ShieldedCoreBoss Supernova Core]].
** Photon Swarm in ''Universe'' can be that as well, as its wide spread combined with homing allows you to kill enemies from an angle where they can’t reach you (as most projectiles are going straight down or up to 45 degree angle), so you remain safe most of the time. It also allows you to make narrow escapes from projectiles [[DeathOfAThousandCuts while continuously shooting the bosses]]. Works especially well with overdrive due to its low heating rate.

* WidgetSeries: This is a shmup series where you [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer shoot chickens in space]] (and a literal turkey shoot in the fourthgame's [[HolidayMode Thanksgiving edition]]), which drop roasted chickens and burgers as well as weapon PowerUps in the form of presents, alongside the typical space shooter tropes of shooting down asteroids and random [=UFOs=].

*** Furthermore, it ''[[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman excels]]'' at boss-clearing thanks to its piercing ability and being able to '''[[DestructibleProjectiles remove projectiles]]''' when strongly charged, which are nowhere to be found in other normal weapons. Did we mention that it can '''''stop certain bosses' attacks''''', like force fields and rotating lasers, by firing the strongly charged beam at its midpoint (you have to memorize it, though) when the boss channels those attacks? [[DifficultButAwesome Play your cards right]] when using Absolver Beam, and it can turn many bosses into a joke, especially those that are considered ThatOneBoss, such as the [[DarthVaderClone Henperor's Apprentice]], [[TacticalSuicideBoss Bossa Nova]] and the [[ShieldedCoreBoss Supernova Core]].

* WeirdAlEffect: While this series has been largely fallen into obscurity, the original version of the second game's theme song is now fondly remembered by the [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 TF2]] community as [[https://youtu.be/ncr_1r15Sng the theme song of Bearded Expense.]]

** [[MechaMook UFO enemies]] introduced in ''4''. While the chick-piloted [=UFOs=] drop a spread of two green poop and the chicken-piloted [=UFOs=] fire an egg at your ship, the real danger that comes from those enemies are that every time you knock their pilots out of their [=UFOs=], the saucers will drop, meaning standing right under the destroyed [=UFOs=] can pose a danger if you don't shoot them down quickly in time.

*** Furthermore, ''[[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman excels]]'' at boss-clearing thanks to its piercing ability and being able to '''[[DestructibleProjectiles remove projectiles]]''' when strongly charged, which are nowhere to be found in other normal weapons. Did we mention that it can '''''stop certain bosses' attacks''''', like force fields and rotating lasers, by firing the strongly charged beam at its midpoint (you have to memorize it, though) when the boss channels those attacks? [[DisintegratorRay Play your cards right]] when using Absolver Beam, and it can turn many bosses into a joke, especially those that are considered ThatOneBoss, such as the [[DarthVaderClone Henperor's Apprentice]], [[TacticalSuicideBoss Bossa Nova]] and the [[ShieldedCoreBoss Supernova Core]].

** [[DiscOneNuke Neutron Gun]], one of the weapons you can get in early-game, has excellent damage output and slow heating rate, and in ''2'' when it reaches max power, its middle large bolt can ''OneHitKill'' a lot of enemies. Small wonder for why it is one of the more expensive weapons in ''Universe'', as unlike many weapons barring [[InfinityPlusOneSword Utensil Poker]], it doesn't sacrifice damage output increased likelihood of overheating.
** [[AwesomeButImpractical Plasma Rifle]] can OneHitKill many enemies once it reaches the middle levels of firepower, and even if you lost a life, you don't feel its power dwindled unlike many weapons. The only drawback it has is a very fast overheating rate, which can be handled by proper heating management.

** Introduced in ''Universe'', [[DifficultButAwesome Absolver Beam]] requires the player to hold the fire button to release a piercing laser, with its damage dependent on how long the fire button is held. Pathetic damage output from rapid fire forcing the player to charge the laser for maximum damage, narrow range and very fast heating rate makes it unideal for standard wave clearing. However, it ''[[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman excels]]'' at boss-clearing thanks to its piercing ability and being able to '''[[DestructibleProjectiles remove projectiles]]''' when strongly charged, which are nowhere to be found in other normal weapons. Play your cards right when using Absolver Beam, and it can turn many BossRush missions into a joke and melt a lot of bosses, especially those that are considered ThatOneBoss.

!!YMMV for ''Universe'':
* DemonicSpiders: [[EliteMook Armored Chickens]]. Not only they are hard to take down, they fire a ring of 3 energy bolts at random directions periodically. Seeing plenty of those in a wave is an indication that you should be prepared for a tough time ahead.
* ThatOneBoss: See [[ThatOneBoss/ChickenInvaders here.]]

* TearJerker: The GameOver music in ''Ultimate Omelette'' is pretty depressing... This is downplayed with ''Revenge of the Yolk'' and ''Cluck of the Dark Side'' and averted entirely with the first game and ''The Next Wave''

* WeirdAlEffect: While this series has been largely fallen into obscurity, the second game's theme song is now fondly remembered by the [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 TF2]] community as [[https://youtu.be/ncr_1r15Sng the theme song of Bearded Expense.]]

* WeirdAlEffect: While this series has been largely fallen into obscurity, the second game's theme song is now fondly remembered by the [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 TF2]] community as [[https://youtu.be/ncr_1r15Sng the theme song of Bearded Expense.]]