A hard as nails platformer with over 100 levels to explore and plenty of ways to make your blood vessels to pop out of anger. The drill wall remains one of the scariest things I've ever encounter in a game and if you know what you're doing, you can technically beat the game after only two levels.
But where's the fun in that?
But where's the fun in that?
I feel like, in the pantheon of 90s Mario Clones, Kid Chameleon is one of the few that actually tries to just up and down Do It. Lots of these games miss the exploration and the feeling of discovering secrets or warp zones or what have you, in favor of making sure you're a little guy who jumps good. I still remember discovering a shortcut in this game that sent me so far forwards I was intimidated to actually try to finish it cuz man, I must be missing something I needed in the earlier levels. A brave attempt.
Average platform with too much inspirations from SMB. Sure, those power-ups make it a little more unique, but it doesn't offer much. It's enjoyable still, nothing really atrocious.
I heard a lot of hype about this game as a kid and... it doesn't live up to any of that. The level design feels so sloppy to me.
When people talk to me about difficult games, this little beauty I tend to bring up doesn't seem to draw much attention. It seems unassuming, with its 90s shades and jacket wearing cool dude looking like he's being chased by a comic convention for saying Batman sucks the Joker's dick on the weekends, but do not be fooled.
This game is EVIL. I shall tell you why.
You play as the titular 'Kid Chameleon', esq. as he travels through an evil VR game that kidnaps losers into its sinister clutches, collecting gems and platforming his way to the end of many levels. Throughout the game you can pick up the assistance through many helmets that grant special transformations and powers, like the Knight who can scale walls, Maniaxe, the Jason Vorhees look alike that throws axes, and Eyeclops, who can reveal hidden passages with his ray gun. Helmets also grant special gem powers, used by holding Start and pushing the B button, which are different for each transformation.
The game starts out easy enough, with not many enemies and some jumping challenges which do not prove too taxing at first. Levels can be big and are cleared through the flag at the end. Teleporter podiums also dot the levels, allowing access to other levels, side areas and branching paths that take you on entirely different level structures. With the game touting over 100 levels on the box, you only really go through about a third of them on any playthrough.
Your first challenge should come on Hills of the Warrior I, where you meet the 'Murder Wall', a monstrosity of drills and machinery where Kid meets instant death if touched and will chase through the level. Then, when you fight the halfway boss, the Boomerang Brothers, all bets are off.
The game starts throwing more powerful enemies like leaping rock golems, fire spirits, rolling tanks, Lion Lords (no relation to Ruby-Spears Mega Man) and those godforsaken UFOs which fly in erratic patterns and rain death on anyone that runs under it. Helmets always come in handy supply, and some like the Cyclone are OP as they allow for flight, but the game will make sure you don't hold onto it for long.
Soon, you'll start bleeding lives and continues on painful levels like Forced Entry, Ice God's Vengeance, Alien Isle, The Hills Have Eyes, Forbidden Tombs, The Final Marathon and the most painful of all, Bloody Swamp.
Forced Entry and the aforementioned Bloody Swamp are cited as the hardest levels in the game, as the Murder Walls in these stages are faster and the stages come with multiple hitches and dead ends to enrage anyone brave enough to fight them. Forced Entry is hard enough, but Bloody Swamp is a nightmare of winding paths and difficult jumps that unless with pixel perfect memorization, most games end there. While Bloody Swamp is thankfully skippable, Forced Entry isn't. (Word of Advice, whatever you do, DO NOT take the teleporter at Hoverboard Beach.)
Overall, the way I speak of this game makes it sound awful? Truth be told, I actually really like this game. There's a genuine level of challenge that comes with it, and being able to clear this game with plenty of lives and continues is something I've done about three times over now. The controls are right, if a little slippery and the enemies never present themselves as unfair. (except for the little golems and the UFOs. Fuck Alien Isle, fuck it to hell)
If you're looking for a challenge of a game that rewards exploration and skillful platforming, you'll find something to like with Kid Chameleon.
Just be warned of the absolute hell that awaits you.
This game is EVIL. I shall tell you why.
You play as the titular 'Kid Chameleon', esq. as he travels through an evil VR game that kidnaps losers into its sinister clutches, collecting gems and platforming his way to the end of many levels. Throughout the game you can pick up the assistance through many helmets that grant special transformations and powers, like the Knight who can scale walls, Maniaxe, the Jason Vorhees look alike that throws axes, and Eyeclops, who can reveal hidden passages with his ray gun. Helmets also grant special gem powers, used by holding Start and pushing the B button, which are different for each transformation.
The game starts out easy enough, with not many enemies and some jumping challenges which do not prove too taxing at first. Levels can be big and are cleared through the flag at the end. Teleporter podiums also dot the levels, allowing access to other levels, side areas and branching paths that take you on entirely different level structures. With the game touting over 100 levels on the box, you only really go through about a third of them on any playthrough.
Your first challenge should come on Hills of the Warrior I, where you meet the 'Murder Wall', a monstrosity of drills and machinery where Kid meets instant death if touched and will chase through the level. Then, when you fight the halfway boss, the Boomerang Brothers, all bets are off.
The game starts throwing more powerful enemies like leaping rock golems, fire spirits, rolling tanks, Lion Lords (no relation to Ruby-Spears Mega Man) and those godforsaken UFOs which fly in erratic patterns and rain death on anyone that runs under it. Helmets always come in handy supply, and some like the Cyclone are OP as they allow for flight, but the game will make sure you don't hold onto it for long.
Soon, you'll start bleeding lives and continues on painful levels like Forced Entry, Ice God's Vengeance, Alien Isle, The Hills Have Eyes, Forbidden Tombs, The Final Marathon and the most painful of all, Bloody Swamp.
Forced Entry and the aforementioned Bloody Swamp are cited as the hardest levels in the game, as the Murder Walls in these stages are faster and the stages come with multiple hitches and dead ends to enrage anyone brave enough to fight them. Forced Entry is hard enough, but Bloody Swamp is a nightmare of winding paths and difficult jumps that unless with pixel perfect memorization, most games end there. While Bloody Swamp is thankfully skippable, Forced Entry isn't. (Word of Advice, whatever you do, DO NOT take the teleporter at Hoverboard Beach.)
Overall, the way I speak of this game makes it sound awful? Truth be told, I actually really like this game. There's a genuine level of challenge that comes with it, and being able to clear this game with plenty of lives and continues is something I've done about three times over now. The controls are right, if a little slippery and the enemies never present themselves as unfair. (except for the little golems and the UFOs. Fuck Alien Isle, fuck it to hell)
If you're looking for a challenge of a game that rewards exploration and skillful platforming, you'll find something to like with Kid Chameleon.
Just be warned of the absolute hell that awaits you.
The concept isn't bad as it allows for a lot of creativity and exploration, but it's held back by some clunky gameplay and uneven difficulty.
Ami joueur !
Si Kid Chameleon ne te plaît pas, alors épargnes ton temps et passes ton chemin. Car même si l'on me suspendait par les gros orteils et me chatouillait les aisselles et la plante des pieds avec des vers de terre, je serais bien en difficulté pour en dire du mal. Je serais tout aussi inapte à t'aider à réviser ton jugement, car ce qui te déplaît dans ce jeu fais probablement partie de ce que j'apprécie ; ou alors c'est que j'en ai fait mon parti depuis plus d'une trentaine d'années.
Ce jeu fait partie des quelques uns qui m'ont en quelque sorte façonnés en tant que joueur. Peu de jeux m'ont marqués à ce point malgré des premières parties qui ne m'avaient guère convaincues. Depuis sa découverte sur Mega Drive, j'y suis revenu régulièrement, et j'y reviens encore aujourd'hui.
Le conseillerais-je à n'importe qui ? Assurément non !
Le jeu est fourbe, parfois injuste. C'est du traquenard de partout, un véritable labyrinthe, des situations tendues, un "level design" retors, des niveaux à connaître par coeur, sans parler des innombrables embranchements... C'est aussi un excellent jeu de plate-forme avec un concept de transformation séduisant à l'époque et toujours efficace aujourd'hui en matière de jouabilité. Vu le nombre de niveaux et la conception labyrinthique du jeu, la rejouabilité est énorme. La direction artistique est de qualité jusqu'à la fin et techniquement le jeu soutient très bien l'air du temps. Quant aux musiques, ce sont de petites perles.
Kid Chameleon est un de ces titres indémodables, de ces jeux maîtrisés à leur époque et que les années ne parviennent à émousser. Il demeure certain que, nonobstant cette intemporalité technique et conceptuelle, Kid Chameleon ne peut être recommandé n'importe comment et à n'importe qui.
Si Kid Chameleon ne te plaît pas, alors épargnes ton temps et passes ton chemin. Car même si l'on me suspendait par les gros orteils et me chatouillait les aisselles et la plante des pieds avec des vers de terre, je serais bien en difficulté pour en dire du mal. Je serais tout aussi inapte à t'aider à réviser ton jugement, car ce qui te déplaît dans ce jeu fais probablement partie de ce que j'apprécie ; ou alors c'est que j'en ai fait mon parti depuis plus d'une trentaine d'années.
Ce jeu fait partie des quelques uns qui m'ont en quelque sorte façonnés en tant que joueur. Peu de jeux m'ont marqués à ce point malgré des premières parties qui ne m'avaient guère convaincues. Depuis sa découverte sur Mega Drive, j'y suis revenu régulièrement, et j'y reviens encore aujourd'hui.
Le conseillerais-je à n'importe qui ? Assurément non !
Le jeu est fourbe, parfois injuste. C'est du traquenard de partout, un véritable labyrinthe, des situations tendues, un "level design" retors, des niveaux à connaître par coeur, sans parler des innombrables embranchements... C'est aussi un excellent jeu de plate-forme avec un concept de transformation séduisant à l'époque et toujours efficace aujourd'hui en matière de jouabilité. Vu le nombre de niveaux et la conception labyrinthique du jeu, la rejouabilité est énorme. La direction artistique est de qualité jusqu'à la fin et techniquement le jeu soutient très bien l'air du temps. Quant aux musiques, ce sont de petites perles.
Kid Chameleon est un de ces titres indémodables, de ces jeux maîtrisés à leur époque et que les années ne parviennent à émousser. Il demeure certain que, nonobstant cette intemporalité technique et conceptuelle, Kid Chameleon ne peut être recommandé n'importe comment et à n'importe qui.
I beat this but it woulda been nearly impossible if it weren't for the rewind feature on the Switch. Fun and varied powers on top of some pretty innovative and challenging platform design. I enjoyed this throwback run-through.
The power ups are really creative and fun. The split paths lead to interesting routing, and going off the beaten path will often lead to really useful secrets. This game just hits for me, I can't say I've played another game like it. It is also janky and way too hard for its own good.
flabbergasted at the difficulty of this video game