Developer: Core Design Publisher: Virgin Release: 06/93 Genre: Action
In the 16-bit era Amiga ports to home consoles were common. Since the Amiga was not as popular in the US I am sure for most this was our only exposure to its library. Unfortunately publishers routinely chose some of the worst games to bring over. For every Soldier of Fortune there was tripe like Sword of Sodan or Technocop. Wolfchild sits somewhere in the middle. It is not a bad game but not something I would recommend either.
The premise of Wolfchild is certainly unique. Biotech researcher Kal Morrow is kidnapped by the Chimera organization to gain access to his technology. His son Saul uses his father’s research to become a human/wolf hybrid to save his father. It’s like a European version of Altered Beast. Wolfchild originally saw release on the Amiga before coming to the Sega CD. The Genesis and SNES versions would come later, with the Super Nintendo game featuring a few advantages.
As Saul you can jump, punch, and drop bombs. On his own Saul is not terribly exciting. But by collecting a double or full life restoring item you transform into a wolf hybrid. In this form Saul throws fireballs for his default attack. These are straightforward but far better than punching. In addition there are a large variety of shots you can collect that use ammo. From homing shots, three-way fire, to massive fireballs the game gives a decent set of tools to play around with, making the wolf form the ideal. The downside to all this power is that once your health drops below a set percentage you revert back.
The level design in Wolfchild is similar to Turrican. Each of the game’s five levels is massive with very few set paths. There is no time limit leaving you free to explore at your leisure. There are secrets in nearly every nook and cranny giving ample reward for your curiosity. Even though the game is only five levels long each is split into multiple sections. Every level is a unique area with distinct enemies. Some drag on a little too long for my liking but the developers try to give you bang for your buck.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with Wolfchild. But there is nothing that stands out either. The platforming is adequate; the game never asks much of you in that regard. The action is consistent but not terribly interesting. Despite the enemy variety (an area the game excels in at least) none have smart AI and most seem uninterested in your presence. You have all these cool weapons but not much reason to use them. Even the boss battles, the one area most games seem to get right are nothing special. Wolfchild is content to nail the basics and not much else. For some that is enough but I can’t help wanting more.
The difficulty in Wolfchild is lacking. The game showers you in health power-ups so you are rarely not at full life. It is obvious they want you to stay in wolf form clearly. Some weapons like the Flamer are overpowered and drops frequently. There are a lot of cheap hits throughout the game, a trait it shares with a lot of other European platformers from that time. But I can honestly say I died maybe once during the entire game. Granted I am something of an expert at the genre but still. Even the most average player will blow the five levels quickly, at which point the game will go on the shelf never to be seen again.
The SNES version of Wolfchild boasts certain advantages over its Sega CD and Genesis counterparts. Thanks to the SNES controller you now have a button dedicated to switching between the different power-ups if you have collected them. This is huge; while they all draw from the same pool of ammunition being able to switch weapons as appropriate goes a long way toward making the game more interesting. In addition there are more layers of parallax scrolling in its backgrounds and special effects. Wolfchild was always a subdued game in terms of its color palette thanks to its Amiga roots so it does not benefit from the system’s wider selection. You lose the animated intro and CD soundtrack though and I will admit the Sega CD music slaps. But the trade-offs are worth it in my opinion.
In Closing
As far as platformers go Wolfchild is better than most from Europe. But it still lags behind the better titles in the genre. I do not regret playing it but it is not memorable. I think gamers are not missing out by skipping it.
