A wild and crazy, no-holds-barred, rootin’ tootin’ varmint shootin’ side-scrolling platform brawler.You remember Play-Doh, right? That squeezable, multi-colored dough in a can from childhood that touted endless possibilities of 3D sculpted fun? Well, for some, the fun never ends and they manage to turn what's become known as claymation into a full-time career. I've always found it to be a more "genuine" method of animating in 3D myself, cartoonish naysayers aside. From Ray Harryhausen to Nicholas Park (Wallace and Gromit) the art of breathing life into rolls of plasticine models is one of the most admirable jobs of any kid ages 8-12 past or present.
As much as Hollywood would have us believe that traditional effects are "obsolete" in today's digital landscape, it would seem that a few talented game designers are out to prove that playing with clay still has its charm. The studio in mention is indie developers Tuna and their clay-concocted creation is Cletus Clay, a zany backwoods 3rd person platformer currently slated for an undisclosed date on XBOX Live Arcade.
Though the game is currently still in development, the initial gameplay footage (see above) reveals a somewhat Ghosts 'n Goblins-inspired environment in which our headliner, Cletus, is pitted against a horde of ToeJam knockoffs (ToeJam and Earl) who have invaded his farmland. Cletus even seems to have a buddy in a few scenes which might suggest some two-player co-op action in the cards. With inspiration ranging from "Wallace and Grommit to Metal Slug" there's little wonder why this game looks as insanely wacky as it does.
Since there's no solid release date, I have no idea when this title will be playable, but the creators have been incredibly gracious enough to provide some behind the scenes artwork of their character models and background information on the official site. If you are at all interested in how the magic behind A Nightmare Before Christmas or Clayfighters may have gone, I highly suggest you at least take a peek.
I adore claymation. I was just about to start singing the praises of Clayfighter (Ickybod Clay!) until you brought it up yourself! Great minds and what not. This game looks like a load of clay-flingin' fun. Thanks for the update!