Chameleon Twist

About Chameleon Twist

Chameleon Twist (1997) is Japan System Supply's Nintendo 64 3D platformer in which a chameleon uses his long tongue to swallow enemies, vault over gaps and swing round poles, a children's game panned by critics but followed by a sequel.

Chameleon Twist in Depth

Players control one of four anthropomorphic chameleons across six themed worlds, mostly indoor environments that each end in a boss battle, collecting hearts to restore health. The tongue is central: once unrolled, it can be steered in any direction with the analogue stick until it reaches full length or hits a wall. It grabs power-ups from a distance and swallows enemies that stick to it, which can then be spat out at other enemies. Planting it lets the chameleon launch into the air to reach higher ground, with extra height when moving, like pole vaulting, and wrapping it round poles lets him pull himself across gaps or swing round them. A five-room training area teaches the controls.

The blue chameleon Davy follows a rabbit resembling the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland down a magical hole and finds he has taken a humanoid form. He, or his friends Jack, Fred or Linda, who share his powers, travel through the six lands beyond the portal, following the rabbit in search of a way home. A separate battle mode for two to four players offers Battle Royal, in which the last chameleon standing on a suspended platform wins, and Time Trial, which rewards whoever falls off the fewest times, with four difficulty settings, adjustable lengths and four stages.

Making Chameleon Twist

Japan System Supply developed Chameleon Twist and published it in Japan in 1997, and Sunsoft published it in North America and Europe. Reviews were mixed, with common complaints about awkward camera angles that cause mistakes, its short length and its low difficulty, though some critics noted in its defence that it was clearly aimed at young children. GameSpot called it "a pretty innocuous little game", worth a rental, adding that "kids though, they'll eat it up", and EGM's Sushi-X said that with beginners in mind he could see the appeal of its "overly cute graphics and sickeningly sweet background tunes". EGM and GameSpot both found it lacking in originality, and Nintendo Power said its innovative mechanics and puzzles wore thin until it became frustrating and dull. GamePro was more positive, calling it "straight-forward hop-n-bop stuff" with underlying entertainment value and even challenge, while IGN's Peer Schneider liked the tongue but not the graphics, sound or short quest. A sequel, Chameleon Twist 2, followed.