Claymates stands as a fascinating relic of the early 90s obsession with digitized claymation, arriving as a platforming spin-off to the more famous ClayFighter series. Players take control of Clayton, a boy transformed into a ball of gumby-like clay who must traverse a variety of surreal environments to rescue his father from the villainous Jobo the Witch Doctor. The core hook lies in the transformation mechanic; by touching specific clay balls, Clayton can morph into several animals including a fast-moving cat, a tunneling gopher, and a flying bird. This adds a necessary layer of puzzle-platforming to the experience, as certain secrets and paths are strictly gated behind the unique physical abilities of these clay avatars.
Visually, the game is a vibrant explosion of color that utilizes the SNES’s palette to great effect, mimicking the pre-rendered look that would soon define the 16-bit era. The animation is remarkably fluid, capturing the squash-and-stretch nature of its subject matter, though the "slippery" momentum-based physics can occasionally lead to frustrating precision platforming moments. The level design is ambitious, often featuring branching paths and hidden rooms that encourage exploration beyond standard left-to-right progression. While the music and sound effects are jaunty and fitting for the zany atmosphere, they lack the iconic melodic hooks found in contemporary platforming giants like Sonic or Mario.
Despite its technical polish and creative premise, Claymates often found itself overshadowed by the technical powerhouse of Donkey Kong Country. The game occasionally struggles with a chaotic screen presence where enemy placement and environmental hazards feel slightly less refined than top-tier Nintendo offerings. However, for those seeking a quirky, high-energy platformer that emphasizes transformation over standard jumping, it remains a hidden gem in the SNES library. Much like the puzzler Zoop, which saw a Western release in 1995 but bypassed Japan on this specific hardware, Claymates is a distinctly Western-flavored production that perfectly encapsulates the experimental spirit of the mid-90s.
