…………………………………………………

Kid Chameleon Game Review

Kid Chameleon is a 1992 video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. It was an admirably unique, though flawed experiment from Sega.

This game is among the most notable Sega releases of 1992 and it remains one of the more respected games made for the Genesis. It has its detractors from the critics, but it is a cult favorite for fans. As for me personally, I find it to be deeply flawed in certain areas, but the ambition evident here is to be admired.

………………………………………………….

You play as the titular protagonist through a story that is too thin and far from memorable. You have to reach the end of the level and obtain a flag there. The main difference between this game and most other platformers of the time lies in its length. In a truly epic move Sega made 103 different levels. Kid Chameleon, thus, ended up being quite sprawling and ambitious.

The choice to include 32 of these levels that are called Elsewhere and are smaller accompaniments was also a terrific one as it enriched the gaming experience quite a bit. The teleporters within the levels that led you to different levels along the path also made for such an interesting structure for an early 90s platformer.

The collectibles aren’t important as they just add to the bonus at the end of each level, but there is one other element here that was undeniably unique and so much fun. Mario did this before, but Kid Chameleon went a step further in including not only different masks for the characters that give you different power-ups, but making each level different enough so that it suits said power-ups in gameplay style.

………………………………………………….

While you can kill off enemies with swords and other weapons, just jumping on their head will prove to be more effective in most circumstances. You also have timed levels here, which I did not like at all as some levels were too big, thus I ended up losing a life more often than I wished. The level design in each level is so diverse that the game was at first quite a joy to play, though eventually it became too difficult and frustrating in enemy placements and overly labyrinthine stages where you get lost way too often with time running out quickly.

Berserker is one of my favorite characters. He plunges onto enemies with his horn, making him perfect to quickly dispatch an array of opponents. Cyclone is also terrific as he basically lets you fly, reaching those furthest areas easily. EyeClops lets you see hidden blocks, but those kinds of levels were overly hard and frustrating. Iron Knight is forgettable, Red Stealth has a great sword while Juggernaut basically lets you drive in a tank, which was so much fun. Maniaxe is awesome as his axe is perfect for boss stages in particular (those head bosses in this game become repetitive eventually, but remain hugely entertaining and quite memorable). Micromax makes you become tiny, which is essential in some levels that are smaller. Skycutter lets you ride a hoverboard, which was also so entertaining to play.

………………………………………………….

Technically, Kid Chameleon is quite mediocre. The audio-visuals are so subpar that they took the overall experience down a notch. Yes, the levels are sprawling and meticulously crafted in terms of gameplay mechanics and level design, but in trying to be so technical they sacrificed the look of the game, which ended up being overly dated and too simplistic and crowded in most areas. The characters were well designed, but the backgrounds left a lot to be desired. The sound is only okay while the score is overly bombastic and aggressive, which also did no appeal to me. Couple that with a rather frustrating control scheme and you’ve got a very uneven game that is amazing in certain aspects, but inferior in others.