• Tag Archives Super NES

  • Claymates (Super NES)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Claymates is a side-scrolling platformer developed by Visual Concepts and published by Interplay in 1993 exclusively for the Super NES. The was by far the most popular genre of gaming in the 8 and 16-bit era so this one probably got lost in the crowd a little. The most unique thing about this game is its claymation style animation similar to what the same company did in ClayFighter which was released around the same time. ClayFighter had pretty big success and judging from the three page ad layout in EGM, Interplay must of thought they had a big hit on their hands with Claymates as well. Honestly though, I didn’t remember this game at all so I’m not sure it was as popular as they hoped…but maybe it was just me.

    This game follows the same general formula as most other side-scrolling platform games of the time. Run and jump avoiding obstacles and defeating or avoiding enemies along the way. The unique play mechanic in this game is the fact that the main characters is a ball of clay that can transform into one of four animals. These include Muckster the Cat, Doh-Doh the Duck, Oozy the Mouse, Goopy the Guppy, and Globmeister the Chipmunk. The ad here features Goopy the Guppy leaving me to wonder if there were ads for all of the animals. In any case, each animal has its own special abilities that will help you in different situations.

    This game has a fair amount of variety. As you work your way through different levels you will progress through places such as your back yard, the Pacific, Japan, Africa, and even outer space. The story doesn’t really matter much but you are basically trying to rescue your father from the bad guy that stole his transformation serum and turned you into a clay ball.

    The graphics are kind of a mixed bag. On one had, the backgrounds are nice and the claymation effect is very unique. On the other hand, these clay animated figures, though well done, don’t necessarily look as good as the sharp and colorful looking sprites found in most games. I guess it’s a personal preference thing. There’s also nothing to complain about with the sound and music.

    This game was generally reviewed well. If I were playing a side-scroller like this at the time, other than Mario, I would have been more into sci-fi themed games so I would probably have passed this one by. A pin-up of Goopy the Guppy sure wouldn’t have made me want to play it, lol. However, if you are a fan of the genre and the SNES, then this is definitely a decent one to pick up. This would seem to be a case of not wanting to judge a book by its cover.

    There are a couple of interesting development notes. Development initially started on the NES but moved to the Super NES early on. There was also a Genesis version planned but for some reason never completed. I’m not really sure why. It doesn’t seem like it would have been a particularly difficult port but perhaps the sales weren’t what they were expecting and they chose not to pursue additional ports. I’m just speculating but Clayfighter had a number of sequels and I don’t think there were any sequels to this game.

    Claymates was added to the Nintendo Classics service in 2021. If you have a Nintendo Switch or a Switch 2 then that is an easy way to play this game. Otherwise, you will have to track down an original copy for your Super NES or use emulation. As far as I know, there haven’t been any other releases of this game.

    The ad above is from the March 1994 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.


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  • Electronic Gaming Monthly (August 1996)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Electronic was perhaps the most popular video gaming magazine in the U.S. during its peak. Sadly, though there are still some niche magazines out there, the days of popular video gaming magazines are long gone. The August 1996 issue of EGM includes:

    Departments

    • Insert Coin – Steve Harris leaves EGM as publisher.
    • Press Start – The state of 3-D gaming tech with a look at such products as the CyberMaxx head-mounted display and the HMD Dynovisor; a look at the upcoming Nintendo 64; Xband modem for the Saturn; and more.
    • Review Crew – Reviews of Gun Griffon (Saturn), Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (Genesis), Shockwave Assault (Saturn), Bogey: Dead 6 (PlayStation), Bust-A-Move 2 (PlayStation), Simcity 2000 (PlayStation), Space Hulk (PlayStation), Ninja Masters (Neo Geo), Heavy Metal (Game Gear), and Dragonheart (Game Boy).
    • Gaming Gossip – News and rumors including: Crash 2 in progress; Sony to sell RPG combos; More N64 game developers; Sega’s upcoming 64-bit system to sell for $250; Street Fighter 3; and more.
    • Tricks of the Trade – Tips and tricks for Solar Eclipse (Saturn), Guardian Heroes (Saturn), Agile Warrior (PlayStation), Super Mario RPG (Super NES), PO’ed (PlayStation), Slam ‘N Jam ’96 (PlayStation), Bust A Move 2 (PlayStation), Return Fire (PlayStation), Resident Evil (PlayStation), Night Warrior: Darkstalkers’ Revenge (Saturn), King of Fighters ’95 (Saturn), Vectorman (Genesis), Battle Arena Toshinden Remix (Saturn), and more.
    • Special Features – A look at Capcom’s latest arcade translation, Street Fighter Alpha 2.
    • Next Wave Protos – An early look at upcoming games still under development including Clayfighter 3 (PlayStation), Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (PlayStation), Power Rangers Battle Racers (Super NES), Virtual Pro Pinball (PlayStation, Saturn), Powerslave (PlayStation, Saturn), Iron & Blood (M2), VF Kids (Saturn), MTV’s Slam Scape (PlayStation), Marvel 2099 (PlayStation), Magic Knight Rayearth (Saturn), Dark Savior (Saturn), The Divide: Enemies Within (PlayStation), Power Rangers Pinball (PlayStation), Dark Rift (Nintendo 64), Three Dirty Dwarves (Saturn), Discworld 2 (PlayStatiob), World Heroes (Saturn), Tetris (Saturn), Prince of Persia (Super NES), Chaos in Lemmingland (PlayStation), Incredible Hulk (PlayStation, Saturn), and Fighting Vipers (Saturn).
    • Team EGM – This sports section includes previews of Madden ’97 (PlayStation), Tecmo World Golf (PlayStation), Supersonic Racers (PlayStation), Grand Slam (PlayStation), NCAA Basketball: Final Four ’97 (PlayStation), NCAA Football: Saturday Showdown (PlayStation), and Burning Road (PlayStation). Also included are reviews of Adidas Power Soccer (PlayStation), Big Hurt Baseball (PlayStation), NBA Action (Saturn), and World Series Baseball ’96 (Genesis).
    • Interface – Letters from readers about pirating games, Final Fantasy V, audio problems with the PlayStation, multiplayer RPGs on the Super NES, and more.

    Features

    • Big Names and Big Games at Japan’s Toy Show – Coverage of the 1996 Tokyo Toy Show which included the latest games for the PlayStation, Saturn, and Super NES such as Virtua Fighter 3, Street Fighter Alpha 2, and many others.
    • Williams Gears Up For The Future of Gaming – Playtesting some upcoming Williams’ Nintendo 64 games including Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Wayne Gretzky’s Hockey 64 plus some other upcoming Williams’ games for other systems including Final Doom, Area 51, Robotron X, Ms. Pac-Man, and Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits 2 and 3.
    • Gamers Will Flip For Sony’s Furry New Hero! – A look at Crash Bandicoot for the PlayStation.

    Next Wave

    • Saturn – Previews of upcoming Sega Saturn games including Dragon Force by Working Designs, Loaded by Interplay, Gun Griffon by Sega, and Shockwave Assault by Electronic Arts.
    • PlayStation – Previews of upcoming Sony PlayStation games including Dark Forces by LucasArts, Dead 6 by SCEA, Blast Chamber by Activision, and Iron and Blood Warriors of Ravenloft by Take 2.

    …and more!


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