Chameleon Twist 2

Summary

Genre: Platform
Number of players: 1
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: No
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

Not a game that all that many people will have heard of, Chameleon Twist 2 is a sequel (well, duh) to Chameleon Twist, an N64 platform game featuring a chameleon character with a super-long tongue, which he used to consume enemies and swing from platform to platform. This sequel again features a chameleon (who looks absolutely nothing like said reptile) with a highly- developed tasting organ with all sorts of powers. Well, it's an original concept, at least. Apart from the fact that it's a sequel...


Gameplay: Chameleon Twist 2 plays very differently to your average platformer. The whole concept revolves around using the character's tongue to pull him up platforms, do handstands, swing from bars, and so on. It's different, but frankly it's not very deep. Each level just consists of you going from area to area jumping and grappling, and occasionally encountering a swarm of enemies who can all be defeated by whipping out the old tongue. It's really rather mechanical, and not a whole lot of fun, to be honest.

To be fair, though, there's a bit of variety throughout the levels. There are roller-coasters, giant ice-hockey stadiums, magic carpets, and more such features, as well as a decent selection of power-ups.

Each level basically consists of you trying to travel from the beginning to the end of the stage, with the only other task you can attempt being to try and pick up 20 special coins spread throughout the level. At the end of each level, you fight a boss creature, but sadly the boss battles are rather lacklustre. Every time, your sole objective is to dodge the boss and grab the projectiles it throws at you before firing the projectiles back at it. It's really rather dull, although at least the bosses are quite varied from one another.

The 'tongue' premise is executed fairly well; there are a few 'bonus games' to discover; and it's at least fairly original - but sadly, the gameplay is just too much plodding and repetitive to be any better than mediocre.


Challenge: Challenge is rather lacking. You get plenty of health, but infinite lives, and whenever you die you're replaced right where you were when you were killed, which in effect means losing health doesn't really do anything. Also, the puzzles and obstacles aren't that hard to solve, particularly since you can try, try and try again. The bosses are a little harder, and can take a few tries to beat. Trying to collect all twenty coins in each level can prove a decent challenge, too, but there are only five levels in the game, and it won't take you very long to plod through them, unfortunately.


Graphics: The graphics are alright. Everything looks solid enough, although detail isn't always very high. Animation is quite 'realistic', with most of the characters moving as you'd expect them too, but there's nothing in the game that really dazzles you with its brilliance. However, there's nothing really wrong with them either.


Sounds: The sounds are in a similar category. The music is rather bland and forgettable, but not abysmal; the sound effects and enemy noises are similarly nondescript too. This is a pity, since it would be nice to have at least one category where this game stood out in...


Summing up: This game isn't bad as such, and has a few nice innovations. However, there's really nothing to make it stand out, and there are far, far better games to get if you want a platformer. Not terrible, but eminently forgettable.


Gamesmark: 66%


Reviewer: Maverik



Tangycheese's opinion: All true. Not a very good game at all, you'd be far better off getting a decent game like either of the Banjo-Kazooie games, or Mario. It might have been a bit better if there was some kind of ingenious drawcard - but, sadly, the tongue thing loses it's humour after the second time you use it. Steer well clear.