Chameleon Twist 2

If anyone was upset that Yoshi’s Story wasn’t a full 3D platformer, the Chameleon Twist games will demonstrate why it wasn’t. Controlling a long, prehensile tongue in three dimensions requires a much slower pace than your typical platformer, and Chameleon Twist 2 is as typical as they come, so navigating its world feels disastrously clumsy. Given that this was true of the original, you’d think this sequel would have reinvented itself a bit to realize the mechanic’s full potential, but instead it doubles down with additional maneuvers that are even more unwieldy.

Japan System Supply apparently alternates hiring the lazy and passionate though, so while the tongue controls are awful, most scenarios can be overcome without them. Furthermore, while the premise and visuals are painfully generic, the levels are filled with creative obstacles that make the most of their theme, and the audio composition is unusually competent. There’s no antidote for the completely contextless story and setting, however.