As part of a new feature on the Game On blog, the team are writing a monthly top five list on a gaming topic.

There is plenty of scope for this after all – we can do villains, weapons, levels, easter eggs – but to start things off Col is going with something with a little more free range – chickens.

5. Crysis
Armed with a “nano suit” that features all the latest military gear imaginable, including an invisibility cloak and super-human strength, what better way to test all this than against a poor little clucker.

I think most owners of the game have at some point or another picked up a chicken and pelted it in the air – only to punch the poor thing back up as it descended back to the ground.

Of course,it should also be mentioned that the chickens could be used as weapons to off the various North Korean soldiers scattered throughout the game, as demonstrated below:

With the news that Crysis 2 is set in New York, I’m not counting my chickens at seeing, um, chickens in this series again.

4. The Secret of Monkey Island
Easily the most useful chicken in videogaming history, the rubber chicken that Guybrush Threepwood acquires in the Voodoo Lady’s shop quickly proved itself to be more than just a pointless joke object.

Upon discovering the item, Guybrush quips “A rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle – what possible use could that have?”.

As fate would have it, quite a few. The rubber chicken turns out to be the only form of transport between Melee and Hook islands, where using the rubber chicken with a flying fox allows Guybrush to zip between the two islands. Later on Guybrush again uses the rubber chicken in a recipe, as a substitute for a real one.

3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Ever the controversial game, the real scandal of Modern Warfare 2 wasn’t the “No Russian” airport level, oh no – it was the fact that the game rewards the player with an achievement for killing 7 chickens in 10 seconds.

Heartless…

2. Fable 2
Slightly less sinister than Infinity Ward’s effort, Lionhead’s opus Fable 2 gave players the opportunity to punt all the chickens in Albion to their hearts content.

Oddly enough the developers also included the ability to unlock a chicken suit for your character. To unlock this, you’ll need to visit fable2.com and take part in a mini game.

The team were also quick to point out that the chickens have ‘reinforced feathers’ and can’t be killed – unless they’re kicked off a cliff.

1. The Legend of Zelda Series
Hell hath no fury like a vengeful poultry gang.

Unlike the defenceless chickens featured above, the fowl in the Zelda series are unlike any other. They are resourceful, determined and they look after their own.

Should you decide to stab one with your sword, it will call out in pain, and before you know it you are under assault by a wave chickens – think The Football Factory, but with feathers instead of butch cockneys.

And that concludes our top 5 list of chickens. We are still thinking of our next list, but if you’d like to suggest one, use the comment box below.