Kid Chameleon

"One of the hardest games I have ever played.... yet one of the best sidescrollers to ever grace the Genesis"

From the minute you turn on this game, I guarantee the intro will make you laugh. Here's how it goes: a new arcade game called ''Wild Side'' has debuted at the arcade, and everyone is playing it. The game uses ultra-realistic holograms to ''create a reality not our own.'' However, the game is a little too real, as it begins kidnapping children who lose at it. You control Kid Chameleon, the kid who is too tough to beat, and the only hope of beating the oversized shrunken-head known as Heady Metal (I am NOT joking about that name) and saving the game playing public!

Yes, I laughed out loud at the intro (having played the game as part of Sega Smash Pack II just a few months ago), but I sat down and played the game. I was treated to one of the greatest side-scrollers ever released for the Genesis, maybe even better than the Sonic series, despite a few minor problems (remember, a 10 is NOT a perfect score. No game is perfect!).

Gameplay: 10/10

Basically, you control Kid Chameleon and get him through around 50 different enemy filled side-scrolling stages. Normally, you hop on the enemies to kill them, while trying not to get hit (you only have 2 hits per life). However, inside the various powerup blocks are the special hats that make this game so much fun to play. These hats transform the Kid (hence the name Chameleon) into various other forms such as an axe throwing maniac, a human tornado, a hoverboarder, a rhino, a tank, a space marine, and more. Each form has it's own unique attacks, abilities, strengths and weaknesses: for example, the Axe maniac has a long range attack, but he doesn't have as many hits as the knight. Mastering these abilities and knowing how to use them is the fun of the game, and which gives the Gameplay rating a high score.

If there was anything that might have brought the rating down, it would be the absolutely insane challenge factor. I guarantee you will not make it even HALFWAY through this game the first time... and the fact that this game has no save feature... it's LONG! It took me longer to reach the end than it did to beat the first disc in Final Fantasy VIII!

Story: 6/10

Yes, yes, we know side scrollers are not supposed to be taken seriously for story, and KC is no exception. It's embarrasingly bad, even for a video game, but not that it matters. It won't draw you away from the game itself.

Graphics: 8/10

Everything is nice and easy to see. The enemies are well done, the powerups are easily distinguishable, and there is no character flicker or slowdown. And that's all you need, right?

Control: 8/10

The controls are easy to learn, and customizable to whatever you prefer. Kid Chameleon can be kind of hard to stop moving when he's running, though, which can lead to falling off cliffs, into enemies, etc.

Audio: 7/10

The music is pretty good, but you could easily tell it's early Sega stuff (and not in the good way!). The voice samples are hard to understand, and everyone sounds the same. Sound effects are good.... overall, keep the sound on.

Replay: 10/10

If you don't manage to beat this one, chances are you'll be addicted and want to keep playing until you do! There are also different routes through the game, and hidden stages, which add to the replay factor!

Buy or Rent:

If you want a side-scroller that will make you pull your hair out at times, but is ultimately a fun experience, buy this game!

Overall, Kid Chameleon is a fun-to-play old school platformer that can be a little too difficult at times. But if you have a lot of patience, a few hours to spare, and a hankering for side-scrolling, pick this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/28/02, Updated 07/28/02