Fuses so many aspects of 2D gameplay. (Kid Chameleon)

Member Name: Mutalisk

Product:	Kid Chameleon
Date:	16/09/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: high longevity, entertaining, original, stylish, memorable, good graphics and sound, familiar.

Disadvantages: A little too difficult. impossible to save games.

Kid Chameleon is a 1992 Sega platform game. The player assumes the role of a shapeshifting teenager who must rely on powerups and his own adaptability to progress the levels.

The player is given a number of lives, which can be increased by collecting points and powerups. The levels are also timed. There are a number of different types of enemy which can be dispatched in many different ways, depending on the character you are playing. Such characters include a knight, a samurai, a hoverborder, a fly, and tank.

These characters, ten in total, have an enormous range of abilities, some can climb walls, others can smash through walls, some can hack enemies to bits with the a sword, throw axes, jump enormously high etc. The character powerups in the game, however, are presented in a linear way, the specific skills necessary to progress the respective areas.

The game flows really well and has a really polished and stylish feel to it, particularly in terms of originality when it comes to level and enemy design. Point accumulation works by picking up diamonds from smashing overhead tiles, sort of a cross between the system in Sonic and Mario. This is familiar but also feels quite smooth. There's a number of interesting bosses and secret levels which never cease to entertain. Many of these are accessed through teleporters which look stylish as hell, the whole screen turning bright white as the environment changes entirely to one of the games many brilliant and memorable, strange sound effects.

This game is brilliantly designed and, whilst it brings together many aspects of other platformers, plays like no other. For its time, the 2D graphics are really quite impressive and due to their incredible punk style, have barely dated at all and still retain a great deal of charm and nostalgic value.

Its a very difficult game overall, particularly toward the end, and, with no saving system or level passwords, it can be incredibly tricky and if I'm honest, somewhat tedious to complete in one sitting. Like most games of its time however, both kids and adults would find it equally difficult, and would be capable of enjoying it on the same levels. It has a lot of longevity.

Kid Chameleon is available for Sega Megadrive, Amiga, Xbox 360 and PS3, the latter two only available by buying Sega game compilations.

Summary: A highly original game I could happily play over and over again.