Atooi Brings Chicken Wiggle Community Levels to Hatch Tales on Nintendo Switch Following 3DS Online Shutdown

In the wake of the recent shutdown of online functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems, indie studio Atooi is ensuring that a piece of 3DS gaming history lives on.

Atooi founder Jools Watsham has issued an important announcement for Nintendo 3DS users and fans of Chicken Wiggle, confirming that more than 2,000 community-created levels from the original Chicken Wiggle will be preserved and accessible for future players.

With the Nintendo 3DS online services coming to a close on April 8, 2024, many players have expressed concern about the longevity of user-generated content for games reliant on server support.

One standout example was Chicken Wiggle, a creative platformer originally released on the Nintendo 3DS that fostered an active community of creators who designed and shared custom levels via online features. Addressing these concerns, Watsham shared that all community-uploaded levels from the 3DS version of Chicken Wiggle will be available to browse, play, and download in the upcoming Hatch Tales for Nintendo Switch.

Watsham stated that over 2,000 custom levels amassed during Chicken Wiggle’s lifecycle will transfer to the new platform, ensuring that this extensive library of player creativity is not lost.

"We are excited to give these imaginative creations a new home on the Nintendo Switch," Watsham remarked, highlighting the studio’s commitment to preservation and the community. Hatch Tales is an enhanced, high-definition port of the original Chicken Wiggle platformer, previously known as Chicken Wiggle Workshop.

The project was first introduced via a successful crowdfunding campaign in early 2018, with an original estimated launch later that year.

Due to a series of delays, the release date was postponed, but Atooi has now confirmed that Hatch Tales will launch for the Nintendo Switch on June 21, 2024, through the Nintendo eShop.

The announcement comes shortly after a last-minute delay at the end of March 2024, when the Switch release was pushed from its March window to the newly confirmed June date.

During this extended development period, Atooi has remained active, even shadow-dropping a new roguelike dungeon crawler on the Switch eShop earlier this year. Atooi’s dedication to its players and their creations demonstrates the studio’s ongoing support for community-driven content, especially amidst shifting platform landscapes.

As anticipation builds for the release of Hatch Tales and the transition of beloved Chicken Wiggle levels to the Nintendo Switch ecosystem, longtime fans and new players alike will have the opportunity to experience a celebrated slice of 3DS history preserved on modern hardware.

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 3DS Xbox Series X|S Atooi Chicken Wiggle Hatch Tales Jools Watsham