The Clucker[1] (コケッコー[2],Kokekko?) is a recurring enemy in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced Badnik model created by Dr. Eggman that takes the form of a robotic chicken in a turret. Basically a fixed battery, its function is shooting bullets at intruders.
Appearance
Being based on chickens, the Cluckers have a white upper body, while their lower body is hidden inside their turret. They also have red wattle/tail feathers, eyes with a strict stare, a small yellow beak, two antennas connected to the sides of their heads by grey bases, and two small wings for steering their turret. The turrets themselves have a small grey cannon on the front. The lower section of their turrets however, are a part of the environment, meaning they do not disappear upon the Clucker's destruction.
In Sonic the Hedgehog 4, the Cluckers are slightly more detailed and have several color changes, although their design remain mostly the same. In Sonic Lost World, the Cluckers regained their cartoony look from eariler games and have cyan eyes.
Game appearances
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Making their first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Cluckers are only encountered in Wing Fortress Zone. These Badniks are not seen inside their turrets until the player gets close, upon where they will pop out of their turrets and aim them. A second afterwards, the Cluckers will shoot straight lines of rotating, egg-shaped bullets in the player's direction. However, they can only fire one bullet at the time.
Cluckers' cannons can only shoot forwards, but they can still take the player by surprise. After popping out of their turrets, these Badniks do not change their firing direction.
Cluckers mostly appear by themselves, although there are cases where two of them are encountered in close succession. The player can easily destroy a Clucker by Spin Jumping on top of it.
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, two Cluckers made an appearance in front of a lonely Crawl in the "Clucker's Defense" Bonus Stage. The two Cluckers will do whatever they can to defend the Crawl using the small bumpers on their turrets (which replace their cannons) which can bounce back pinballs. While the player cannot hit them from the front, they can hit them on their sides to score points.
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, Cluckers appear only as enemies in Aerobase Zone. In this game, they retain their attack patters from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, although they will pop out from their turrets and fire their cannons at a much faster rate. Also, two of them can often be encountered in close succession.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, Cluckers are featured in Sky Fortress Zone Act 2 and 3. While having upgraded designs and shooting grey bullets instead of white ones, their attack patterns remain the same as in previous games. In this game however, the Cluckers appear more frequently and can even be found shooting from floating platforms. In addition, up to four of them can be encountered in succession, usually at stair sections.
Sonic Lost World
Sonic grinding towards several Clucker Badniks at Silent Forest Zone 1.
Cluckers reappear in both the Wii U/PC and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World. During the game, all the Badniks, the Cluckers included, got hijacked by the Deadly Six. In this game, Cluckers appear in multiple Zones and have their cartoon-like look from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Regular Cluckers appear in Silent Forest Zone 1 and Lava Mountain Zone 3, where they pop out of their turret and shoot egg-shaped projectiles at the player.
In some cases, the Cluckers appear on Grind Rails where they ride minecarts while shooting at the player. In the Wii U/PC version, some Cluckers will even control bulky, spider-based vehicles that will flip when Sonic moves about in the tubular caverns of Silent Forest Zone 2. For all their different roles though, the Cluckers are easily beaten with a Homing Attack.
In gameplay, the Cluckers basically use the same attack patters they had in Sonic the Hedgehog 2: they hide inside their turrets until the playable characters get near, upon which they begin shooting horizontal-moving bullets at them. This time around however, if the player tries to get out of a Clucker's shooting range by getting behind it, the Clucker will turn around and continue its firing pattern in the opposite direction. It should also be noted that their projectiles will bounce off anyelementalshield.
Upon a Clucker's destruction, it will release an Animal.
Powers and abilities
Cluckers hide within turrets waiting for intruders. When their targets come into their vicinity, they pop up from their turret and shoot cannonballs at them. Their turrets seen to utilize rotating egg-shaped bullets, energy projectiles or grey bullets.
Clucker's in-game sprite in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 differs comparing to original artwork illustration. The antenna button in is miscolored yellow, while tail feathers are miscolored white rather than red. These mistakes are repeated later in Sonic Pocket Adventure and Sonic the Hedgehog 4, but only partially in Sonic Mania, with the tail feather mistake being fixed.
A Chicken type Badnik last seen defending "WING FORTRESS ZONE" in "Sonic 2". They will stand in Sonic and his friends' way, deployed everywhere within the incredibly enormous "Sky Fortress" as fixed batteries. 
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