Play Claymates (Sample) Online

Claymates came out on the Super Nintendo in 1993, published by Interplay. It was part of that wave of platformers that tried to stand out with a unique visual style and a central gimmick, rather than just pure speed or precision. The whole world is made of clay, which gives it a squishy, handmade look that was pretty different from the slick pixel art of the time.

You control a little clay ball named Clayboy, who gets transformed by a mad scientist and has to rescue his kidnapped father. The main hook is that you can change into different animal forms, each with its own movement. You might be a mouse to crawl through tiny tunnels, or a cheetah to run fast and jump far. You explore the levels screen by screen, collecting blue orbs to unlock the exit while avoiding enemies and environmental hazards. The physics are intentionally bouncy and a bit slippery, which makes controlling your character feel unpredictable; it's not a tight, responsive game like Super Mario World, so it demands a different kind of patience. Playing it feels like navigating a world that's constantly wobbling and alive under your feet.