Play Chameleon Twist (J) Online

Chameleon Twist came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, developed by Japan System Supply. It was one of those quirky platformers that showed up early in the system's life, a time when developers were still figuring out what to do with 3D spaces and analog sticks. It didn't have the big marketing push of a Mario or a Zelda, but it had a strange charm all its own.

You control a chameleon navigating a series of obstacle-filled stages. The main goal is to reach the end of each level, but the real fun comes from the movement. Your chameleon's tongue is your primary tool; you can latch onto poles, mushrooms, and enemies to swing across gaps or pull yourself forward. You can also eat certain enemies to gain temporary abilities, like spitting fire. The pacing is deliberate, sometimes a bit slow, and the camera can be fussy, but mastering the stretch and retract of that tongue gives the game a unique physical rhythm. It feels like solving a spatial puzzle with a very silly, very stretchy rope.