Kid Chameleon

Kid Chameleon (カメレオン キッド Kamereon Kiddo, Literally translated as Chameleon Kid) is a 1992 platform game for Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, developed by Sega Technical Institute and published by Sega.

Gameplay
The player, as Kid Chameleon, progresses through a series of levels, containing an array of deadly enemies and obstacles. Most levels contain a flag, which is the primary goal of each level, from which the player progresses to the next level. However, a number of teleporters throughout the game can warp the player not only to different places in the same level, but also to different levels, and sometimes to an entirely different path through the game. At the end of the game, Kid fights and defeats the final boss, Heady Metal. Kid Chameleon contains 103 levels, of which only about half are on the "main path" (traversing levels only by flags), and also counts 32 smaller unnamed levels, simply called "Elsewhere".

Despite the game's considerable length, there was no password system or other method of saving the game (although re-releases in compilations and Virtual Console include their own save features). There are several bonuses that can be earned at the end of certain levels (in which the flag is touched), including beating a time limit, not getting hit and not collecting any prizes.

As Kid Chameleon moves through the game's levels, he gains access to masks that transform him into different characters. Each character has different special abilities and varying amounts of hit points. Collecting a mask that the player is already wearing will restore its health. The sheer amount of variety in gameplay due to the various characters is part of what gave Kid Chameleon such an addictive style; few levels repeated the same structure and they usually had specific strategies and characters to be beaten.

In addition to the offensive abilities of each form, the Kid could also defeat enemies by jumping on them, although he may take damage from some enemies by doing so. Each form can also make use of Diamond Powers which require diamonds collected in the game to use, accessed by pressing A + Start. Players lose a life if Kid Chameleon loses all his hit points in human form, is crushed, falls into bottomless pits or lava or touches the drill wall which appears in certain levels, or if time runs out. Extra lives and continues can be found in the game, with additional lives awarded for every 50,000 points. Source: Wikipedia

Characters

 * Kid Chameleon – If Kid runs out of hit points while wearing any other mask, he reverts to this form. In this form he can grab onto ledges to pull himself up.
 * Iron Knight – The Iron Knight is the most durable character, able to take more hits than any other character. He also has the ability to scale vertical walls. He is heavy enough to break through some floors. His 50-diamond power is especially useful, adding an extra hit point to the hit point total. The extra hit point remains through any transformations, lasting until the character is killed.
 * Red Stealth – A samurai who can defeat enemies and break through some floors with his sword. He is faster-moving (except Skycutter) and able to jump higher than any of the other characters.
 * Berzerker – This character can charge through walls or foes.
 * Maniaxe – Modeled after Jason Voorhees, Maniaxe throws axes steadily in a straight line.
 * Juggernaut – A wide tank that shoots skulls, which bounce forward and ricochet until they disappear.
 * MicroMax – A fly able to stick to walls and is half the size of the other characters, able to fit in small places, but walks slowly.
 * EyeClops – Can temporarily reveal hidden blocks and fire a harmful beam for a low diamond cost.
 * Cyclone – A superhero who can spin like a tornado and fly.
 * Skycutter – Can reverse gravity with his hoverboard. Source: Wikipedia

Enemies (WIP)

 * Dragons attack by breathing fire when Kid approaches them. Some variants can even fly.
 * Crystal is a precious looking yet killer large gem stone that moves back and forth and acts like a Spiny in the Mario series (It cannot be jumped on).
 * 31742.pngFireball is an enemy in Kid Chameleon. It is a living element of fire that bounces in a direction and leaves spots of fire each time it lands.
 * 48929.pngTanks have 2 Hp and one hit will cause the wheels to break and in the process leaving it immobile. Some variants can even shoot projectiles.
 * 51146.pngDrips are small slime monsters that spawn from acid liquids dripping from the ceiling. In some areas, strange acid liquids are seen dripping on the floor forming a little puddle on the ground. About after every three drops, it forms into this small slime monster. It can be killed with any attack.
 * 51152.pngImp, as it's name implies a small yet mischievous and dangerous demon. They fall from the screen making an evil laugh. Once they land, they will attack by jumping towards Kid.
 * 48930.pngTar Monster is a living blob element that emerges from a puddle and spits blobs at Kid.
 * Boomerang Bosses are the bosses of the second stage. They are three floating heads that move around the screen freely and shoot boomerangs. Each head has 30 Hp.Bagel brothers.png
 * Bagel Brothers are the bosses of the third stage. They are three disembodied heads that move around the screen and attack by shooting green energy balls. Each head has 30 Hp.
 * Shishkaboss.pngShishkaboss  is the boss of the first stage. It is what appears to be three evil heads on a giant spear stick. It moves around the screen and attacks by shooting green energy balls that explodes into a green aura. Each head takes like 20 hits and must be destroyed to defeat the boss.

Heady Metal
Heady Metal is an enemy in Kid Chameleon. He is the game's final boss. He is a 12-eyed, 4-eared and one-mouthed oblong floating head, which takes 37 hits to kill. He moves around the screen, constantly pursuing. He attacks by spitting small homing heads, which in turn spit out smaller homing heads that disappear after a while. Both these can be dispatched of with a single hit. Initially, Heady will only follow you by trying to match your vertical position, but after 4 hits he begins to also chase you horizontally. After this happens it becomes very hard to open the prize blocks without the boss hurting you. Note that this boss, unlike the others, is immune to Red Stealth's sword, Maniaxe axes, Juggernaut skulls and Berzerker charges. Not that anyone would ever have a chance to try most of these.

During the first 12 hits, Heady's eyes will one by one bulge out, and for the next 12 hits pop back in again. After this, for every hit one of his eyes pop out of its socket and is replaced with a small head, and Heady becomes immobile for about five seconds. When all his eyes are lost, one last hit is needed to make Heady explode and split into three easily-countable pieces. Since the boss becomes immobile during the last 13 hits, and the player is usually pretty close to the ceiling and bouncing on the boss very fast, the finer parts of how the boss works is often lost on the player.

Comic Adaption
In early 1993, Kid Chameleon gained his own comic strip in the new Fleetway publication Sonic the Comic. The first strip ran from issues 7–12 and featured Casey entering the Wildside to rescue his friend Suzy, with a disembodied presence known as "The Voice" giving him advice and encouragement.

Through each issue he changed into one of the different personas: Red Stealth, Eyeclops, Micromax, Berzerker and finally Iron Knight, before his Chameleon powers ran out and he had to take down a powerful enemy as his normal self. While he and Suzy escaped Wildside, the story ended with Casey discovering local school bully Brad was also trapped in Wildside. In issues 54–59 he returned again to rescue Brad, this time turning into Skycutter, Juggernaut, Maniaxe and Cyclone. Here he discovered that The Voice had a more sinister agenda and was keeping children from all over the world prisoner in the Islecatraz gulag, using Brad as warden.

Casey, as Cyclone, destroyed Islecatraz and freed everyone from Wildside, but when it became clear only one more person could escape, Brad sacrificed himself as penance for his sins so Casey could escape. The ending was ambiguous, with a showdown being threatened between Casey and The Voice, but Fleetway did not produce any more strips. Source: Wikipedia