Wolfchild is a 1992 action game developed by Core Design originally published for Amiga and Atari ST home computers, receiving ports to Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System and Game Gear the following year.
CHIMERA Terrorists have kidnapped famous scientist and bioengineer Dr. Kal Morrow and murdered his wife and eldest son. When Saul Morrow, an Olympic athlete and Dr. Morrow's youngest son discovers his mothers dead body at his fathers wrecked laboratory, he swears revenge on CHIMERA. Saul uncovers overlooked blueprints for Project Wolfchild, a program developed by his father to create psychic lycanthropic warriors. Knowing that he would not stand a chance to defeat CHIMERA as a human, Saul steps into the transmutation chamber...
- All There in the Manual: Ports of the game which omit the animated intro providing context for events of the game will have the story present only in the manual.
- Animesque:
Word of God says the art direction was inspired by anime the lead designer had grown up with, such as Marine Boy & Battle of the Planets. The Anime influence is most felt in the aesthetic of the animated intro. The Elevator Action Sequence at the end of stage 4 was inspired by a scene from AKIRA. - Beast Man: Most of the characters in the game are some form of animal-human hybrid, including the titular Wolfchild.
- Big Bad: Karl Draxx, leader of CHIMERA and kidnapper of Dr. Morrow, who wants to use his research to create an army of super soldiers to Take Over the World.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: The island temple is populated heavily with mutated bug men and oversized grubs.
- Bio-Augmentation: Wolfchild and the various mutant enemies he fights are the result of splicing animal genes into human DNA.
- Cthulhumanoid: CHIMERA's latest batch of super mutants consist of the Octo-heads who break out of their test chambers to attack Wolfchild.
- Death by Origin Story: Saul's mother and brother are murdered by CHIMERA terrorists which provides his motivation to become Wolfchild and take them out personally.
- De-power: If Wolfchild loses enough health he will transform back into the human Saul Morrow, this removes any ranged attack and forces you to rely on close quarters combat until you can obtain a powerup and become Wolfchild again.
- Elevator Action Sequence: The opening and ending (before the boss battle) of the Laboratory levels consist of Wolfchild fighting CHIMERA mooks on an ascending, and later descending, elevator.
- Elite Mooks: The Octo-heads found in the CHIMERA labs take multiple hits to kill and have a long reaching melee attack, which makes them a nightmare to fight if Saul is in his human form due to lacking ranged attacks.
- Falling Damage: Averted. Saul falls from the CHIMERA airship after battling a bird-man and lands in a jungle unharmed.
- Fantastic Terrorists: CHIMERA, a terrorist group consisting of mutated beast-men who want to create animalistic super soldiers and Take Over the World.
- Feathered Fiend: CHIMERA's airship is populated by avian super-soldiers who are recurring enemies throughout the game. A bird-man with large wings is the boss of the first stage.
- Feel No Pain: The Sega Genesis manual specifically states that the titular Wolfchild is immune to all levels of pain.
- Fish People: Serve as mooks in the CHIMERA labs. They vary on whether they have actual fish heads or a crustacean or cephalopod look to them.
- Giant Enemy Crab: A giant lobster is the boss battle at the end of the CHIMERA labs level. It emerges from one of two pipes and attacks by either rolling over Wolfchild or firing balls of energy at him.
- Informed Attribute: Karl Draxx is apparently a confirmed sociopath. Since he never talks in-game there's nothing substantiating this other than a news report or the manual.
- Jungle Japes: The setting of the second area. Saul arrives there after falling from the CHIMERA airship after defeating the first boss.
- Kent Brockman News: The opening cinematic of the Amiga, Atari ST and Sega CD versions features a news report detailing the circumstances of Dr. Morrows kidnapping and murder of his family. Saul turns off the TV before the program segues into an apparently more upbeat story.
- Kidnapped Scientist: Dr. Kal Morrow, the protagonists father, is kidnapped by CHIMERA terrorists to assist them in developing mutant super soldiers for their army.
- Lizard Folk: CHIMERA's jungle troops consist of Lizard Men armed with laser guns. A giant cyborg chameleon man serves as the boss of the Jungle levels.
- Mad Scientist Laboratory: The fourth stage has Wolfchild entering the CHIMERA labs hidden beneath the hidden island temple. The area features People Jars, conveyor belts and large vats of chemicals used by CHIMERA to build their army.
- Meaningful Name: CHIMERA, a terrorist group whose members consist of Half-Human Hybrids.
- One-Winged Angel: After defeating Draxx's human form, he transforms into a Werewolf much larger than Wolfchild. note
- Our Werewolves Are Different: The titular Wolfchild is a bio-engineered supersoldier whose transformation is controlled by power rings attached over Saul Morrow's shoulders. Wolfchild can fire psychic bolts of energy from his fists but will transform back into a human if he takes enough damage, forcing Saul to rely on his fists or grenades for combat. Saul can transform back into Wolfchild if he collects a power orb adorned with a lightning bolt.
- Pendulum of Death: These are environmental hazards used against Wolfchild and are found starting with the Temple levels.
- People Jars: The CHIMERA laboratory contains glass jars containing the powerful Octo-heads. Naturally, they break out to attack Wolfchild.
- Rhyme Theme Naming: Saul and Paul Morrow, sons of Kal Morrow.
- Saw Blades of Death: The island temple overtaken by CHIMERA features saw blade traps built into the floors and ceilings.
- The Sociopath: Karl Draxx is described as this in an opening news report.
- Spelling Bonus: Spelling E-X-T-R-A grants an extra life, and B-O-N-U-S a 20,000-point bonus.
- Spikes of Doom: Falling on these will cause Saul to take damage, thankfully you can walk past them without taking any damage, as its only landing on the spike tips specifically that causes damage.
- Take Over the World: The end goal of CHIMERA.
- Throw Down the Bomblet: Saul can carry a limited number of grenades which can be thrown at the ground and will kill every enemy onscreen sans bosses.
- Transhuman Treachery: The CHIMERA terrorist organisation consists of genetically engineered super soldiers.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Saul is shirtless throughout the game in both his human and werewolf form. Justified in-game as the power rings which control his powers required him to be shirtless upon entering his fathers transmutation machine. It helps that he's a perfectly in-shape athlete.
