ClayFighter

n/a

ClayFighter
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console
Publisher: Interplay, Ballistic
Developer: Visual Concepts Ringler Studios M2
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code US 1994-12 T-125036 EU 1995-01 T-125036-50 PT 199x MDJ125036 UK 1995-01 £44.9944.99 T-125036-50 GR 199x AU 199x FCLA03SMC BR 1995 046700 US ▼ 2009-05-25 800pts800 EU ▼ 2009-02-06 800pts800 AU ▼ 2009-02 800pts800
Non-Sega versions Super NES
PEGI

ClayFighter is a fighting game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Interplay in 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive. This game is a port from the Super Nintendo, with several gameplay changes taken from the updated SNES version, ClayFighter: Tournament Edition. The game was most known for its colorful graphics, with each character modeled from clay to give the game its unique look.

Story

A meteor made entirely out of clay crash-lands on the grounds of a humble American circus. The goo from the interstellar object contaminates all of the circus's attractions, transforming them into bizarre caricatures of their former selves, with new superpowers.

Gameplay

N. Boss

The game is a one-on-one fighting game similar to Street Fighter II. It features eight playable characters, battling each other to become the "King of the Circus." Two characters contend, using a variety of moves and special techniques, to drain the other's vitality bar. Battles are played to the best of three rounds. A bomb with a long fuse appears on the bottom of the screen to indicate the time limit; when the fuse burns completely, the bomb explodes, defeating the character with the least vitality remaining.

Characters move with and and crouch with . They jump with and jump ahead or back with or . Punches are done with (quick), (medium), and (brutal) and kicks are done with (quick), (medium), and (brutal). Light attacks are faster and hard attacks deal more damage. When playing with a standard three-button control pad,  START  toggles between punches and kicks. Each character has a set of special moves performed with special button combinations.

Throws and holds are done by holding the D-Pad toward an opponent and pressing a hard punch or kick button (depending on the character used). Attacks, other than grapples, can be blocked by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent. Blocking can be done while standing or crouching. Characters can become dizzy and uncontrollable from being attacked repeatedly. When a character receives heavy damage, the word "KO!" may appear above them. If they are hit with a special move during this time, they take extra damage.

Modes

The one-player game has the selected character battle through several matches against all of the game's characters, including a few rematches against previously beaten opponents, before facing the game's final enemy, N. Boss. A second player can join with  START  to challenge the first, with the winner continuing the game. There are three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard) for computer-controlled opponents and twelve game speeds.

There is also a dedicated two-player mode, where players can choose a character, a handicap, and any stage.

Characters

Note: Move lists assume that the character is facing right. When facing left, and should be reversed.

P	Any punch button
LP	Light punch
MP	Medium punch
HP	Hard punch

K	Any kick button
LK	Light kick
MK	Medium kick
HK	Hard kick

Playable

Taffy, Tiny, and Bonker are fought twice in the single-player game.

	Bad Mr. Frosty
	A snowman with a bad attitude. His special attacks include throwing snowballs, spitting sharp balls of ice, sliding along the ground and kicking his opponent, and turning into a snow boulder and rolling into his opponent. Move list Name Command Description Frozen Fist P Bad Mr. Frosty throws his fist, a snowball, across the screen. Ice Ball P Bad Mr. Frosty spits out an ice ball. Snow Ball Hold for 2 seconds, then +P Bad Mr. Frosty curls into a big snowball and rolls himself across the screen. This move can also be performed in midair. Aerial Snow Ball Hold for 2 seconds, then +K Bad Mr. Frosty curls into a big snowball and rolls himself in an upward arc. Slide Kick K Bad Mr. Frosty collapses onto the ground and slides forward. Flying Headbutt P Bad Mr. Frosty leaps forward with a headbutt. Big Arm Sideswipe Hold for 2 seconds, then +P Bad Mr. Frosty bashes his opponent with a large fist. The range of this attack is about half the width of the screen. This attack inflicts the "KO!" status on opponents.
	Taffy
	A fighting piece of taffy whose attacks mainly involve stretching and twisting his thin but super-flexible body. As a result, Taffy uses some of the longest-reaching moves in the game. He can also twist himself tightly to cause himself to spin at his opponent while his arms flail. Move list Name Command Description Taffy Whack Punch P Taffy does a powerful punch. Taffy Whack Kick K Taffy does a powerful kick. Two-Fisted Charge P Taffy charges forward, attacking with both fists. This move can also be performed in midair. Taffy Tornado P Taffy twists himself tightly, then unwinds with a spinning attack forwards. Flying Taffy Tornado P Taffy twists himself tightly, then unwinds with a spinning attack in an upward arc. Dizzy Fake P Taffy pretends to be dazed until he is hit or until the player presses P.
	Tiny
	A buff, large-toothed wrestler-type character with a penchant for posing, who does not really rely on wrestling. Instead, he uses his big fists to charge across the screen and punch, as well as rolling himself into a ball and flinging himself at foes. Move list Name Command Description Sucker Punch P Tiny charges across the screen with a powerful punch. Backfist Whip P Tiny charges across the screen with a powerful punch. Medicine Ball Hold for 2 seconds, then +P Tiny curls himself into a ball and hurls himself across the screen. This move can also be performed in midair. Aerial Medicine Ball Hold for 2 seconds, then +K Tiny curls himself into a ball and hurls himself in an upward arc.
	The Blob
	A blob of clay. A self-proclaimed master of "goojitsu," his specialty is "morphing" into objects to attack his opponent, with his specialty being transforming into a buzzsaw and cutting his opponent in half. He is said to be highly intelligent, despite being made up of the slimy dregs of the mutagenic meteor. Move list Name Command Description Clay Spit P The Blob spits a gob of clay across the screen. Somersault Headbutt P The Blob rolls forward, then attacks with a headbutt. Buzzsaw Hold for 2 seconds, then +P The Blob transforms into a sawblade and throws himself across the screen. Slide Smack P The Blob slides along the ground. Clay Stomp + HK  The Blob transforms into a giant shoe and stomps downward, which can attack on the way up as well as the way down.
	Blue Suede Goo
	An Elvis impersonator with wildly exaggerated features, including a big gut and even bigger hair. He throws musical notes at his opponent and uses his hair as a blade. His name is a parody of the 1950s song "Blue Suede Shoes," a version of which Presley recorded on his debut album. Move list Name Command Description Humming Attack P Blue Suede Goo shoots a musical note across the screen. Hair Slice P Blue Suede Goo swings his hair, slicing nearby opponents. Hair Blade P Blue Suede Goo whips his hair forward to attack from long range. Song of Pain P Blue Suede Goo shoots a musical note across the screen. In the Super NES version, this ability throws multiple notes; in the Mega Drive version, it only throws a single note, likely due to a bug.
	Ickybod Clay
	A scarecrow-like ghost with a pumpkin head. He can teleport and throw balls of ectoplasm at foes. His name is a play on Ichabod Crane from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and his pumpkin-head is based on the Headless Horseman from the same tale. Move list Name Command Description Ecto Ball P Ickybod Clay shoots a fireball across the screen. Ecto Punch P Ickybod Clay jumps into the air with an uppercut. Dart Dive Hold for 2 seconds, then +P Ickybod Clay dashes forward, then strikes downward with both hands. This move can be performed in midair. Teleport Left  LK + MK  Ickybod Clay teleports to the left side of the screen. Teleport Right  MK + HK  Ickybod Clay teleports to the right side of the screen.
	Helga
	An obese opera singer dressed in Viking attire. She is Blue Suede Goo's rival and attacks by hurling herself at her opponents, stabbing them with the horns on her helmet, and by belting a high vocal note for a sonic scream. Move list Name Command Description Viking Ram P Helga jumps in the air while spiraling, with her horned helmet forward. Her jump covers about half the width of the screen. Viking Jump K Helga jumps in the air and attacks with her stomach. Viking Yodel Hold for 2 seconds, then P Helga yodels, emitting damaging sound waves in front of her. Viking Leap Hold for 2 seconds, then K Helga leaps across the screen and attacks with her posterior.
	Bonker
	A cheerfully manic clown whose arsenal includes deadly pies, killer cartwheels, a spraying flower, and the big hammer that gives him his name. Move list Name Command Description Flying Pie P or K Bonker throws a pie across the screen. He throws a high pie with P or a low pie with K. Cutting Cartwheel Hold for 2 seconds, then +P Bonker dashes across the screen while cartwheeling. Flower Spray P Bonker sprays water a short distance in front of him with his flower pin.

Bosses

	N. Boss
	The final boss is an anthropomorphic string of pearls with two eyes (one wide open, one half closed). His name is a play on M. Bison from Street Fighter II and the phrase "end boss."

Stages

Stages are chosen randomly in the single-player mode but can be chosen manually in the two-player mode. N. Boss shares a stage with the Blob.

Bad Mr. Frosty

Taffy

Tiny

The Blob

Blue Suede Goo

Ichybod Clay

Helga

Bonker

Versions

Debuting a year after its Super NES counterpart, ClayFighter on the Mega Drive is roughly the same as on Nintendo's console, but makes a number of graphical cutbacks (particularly in the introduction sequence) to accommodate for the lack of native sprite scaling and rotation. Most of the in-game graphics employ dithering techniques to cater for the Mega Drive's smaller colour palette and lack of semi-transparency support, and the top heads-up-display features a solid black background, masking the top portion of the in-game scenery. Many voice clips are also missing in the Mega Drive version.

History

Legacy

In 2009, Interplay ported the Mega Drive version of the game to the Virtual Console for the Wii.

In 2022, the game was included in the North American and European versions of the Mega Drive Mini 2.

A remastered version of the game was announced by Interplay in 2015, but it never materialized. Interplay sold the intellectual property rights to the franchise the year after.

A sequel, ClayFighter 2: Judgment Clay, was released for the SNES in early 1995. A Sega 32X version was announced but ultimately cancelled.

Production credits

Ringler Studios

• Produced by: Ed Ringler
• Senior Programmer: Dave Castelnuovo
• Additional Programming: Doug Mackall, John bartak, Chris Oke, Lee Romans
• Technical Director: Chris Oke
• Grafix: Klee Miller, Gary Platner
• Product Managers: Bill Johnson, Dustin Howard

Interplay Productions

• Executive Producers: Brian Fargo, Alan Pavlish
• Producer: Jeremy Airey
• Line Producer: Mike 'Paco' Greene
• Director of Quality Assurance: Kirk 'Koik' Tome
• Lead Tester: Ryan Rucinski
• Quality Assurance: Reginald Arnedo, David Simon, Robert Rooke

Visual Concepts

• Game Design: Gregory A. Thomas, Matthew Crysdale, Jason Anderson, Jeff Thomas
• SNES Programming: Jason Andersen
• Art Direction: Matthew Crysdale
• Art: Leandro Penaloza, Matthew Crysdale
• Additional Art: Eric Browning, Alvin Cardona, Dean Lee, Philip Vaughan
• Sound and Music Engine: Jason Andersen, John Schappert
• Technical Assistance: Scott Patterson

Clay Design and Animation by Danger Productions

• Direction: Ken Pontac, David Bleiman
• Sculptors: Josephine Huang, Ralph Miller
• Animation Design: Doug Post
• Clay Animation: Ken Willard

Interplay

• Producer: Michael Quarles
• Game Design: Jeremy Airey
• Assistant Producer: Eric Demilt
• Music: Mitchell Stein, Brian Luzietti
• Title Music: Brian Luzietti
• Soundfx and Samples: Charles Deenen
• Title Music Concept: Charles Deenen, Brian Luzietti
• Vocals: Euphony
• Voices: Michael McConnohie, Steve Bulen, Melodee M. Spevack, Brian Luzietti, Charles Deenen
• Vocal Arrangement: James Peacock
• Audio Production: Charles Deenen
• Technical Assistance: John Phillip Britt
• Director of Quality Assurance: Kerry Garrison
• Assistant Director of Quality Assurance: Rodney Relosa
• Testers: Bill Church, Kirk Tome, Chris Tremmel, Frank Alberry

Game Manual

• Writers: Feargus Urquhart, Eric Demilt
• Computer Graphics: Larry Fukuoka
• Illustrations: Vince Carino
• Layout Design: Bruce Warner
• Package Cover Sculpture: John Lemmon Films
• Executive Producer: Brian Fargo

Copyright (C) 1994 Interplay Productions, Visual Concepts Co.

• The Posse: Steve Chiang, John Schappert, John Andersen
• The Interplay Posse: Jeremy Airey, Rodney Relosa, Kirk Tome, Bill Church

Source:

In-game credits

---

Interplay Productions

• Executive Producers: Brian Fargo, Alon Pavlish
• Producer: Jeremy Airey
• Line Producer: Mike "Paco" Greene
• Director of Quality Assurance: Kirk "Koik" Tome
• Lead Tester: Ryan Rucinski
• Quality Assurance: Robert Rooke, Reginald Arnedo

Ringler Studios

• Produced by: Ed Ringler
• Senior Programmer: Dave Castelnuovo
• Technical Director: Chris Oke
• Graphics: Klee Miller, Gary Planter
• Product Managers: Bill Johnson, Dustin Howard

Game Manual

• Computer Graphics: Larry Fukuoka
• Layout/Design: Ulises Gerardo, Bruce Warner
• Illustration: Vince Carino

Source:

US manual

Digital manuals

• 

  Mega Drive Mini 2 US manual

• 

  Mega Drive Mini 2 EU manual

Magazine articles

Main article: ClayFighter/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in EGM² (US) #1: "July 1994" (1994-07-19)
also published in:

• EGM² (US) #2: "August 1994" (1994-0x-xx)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #62: "September 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
• GamePro (US) #64: "November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
• EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)
• Sega Visions (US) #22: "December/January 1994/1995" (1994-xx-xx)
• VideoGames (US) #72: "January 1995" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Mega Force (FR) #34: "Décembre 1994" (1994-12-02)

Print advert in Sega Megazone (AU) #49: "March 1995" (1995-0x-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 30 Alaab Alcomputtar (SA) 80 Consoles + (FR) 79 Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U 67 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 66 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 80 Games World: The Magazine (UK) PAL 66 Joker (SI) 82 Joypad (FR) PAL 81 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 54 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 47 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 47 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 56 Player One (FR) 86 Play Time (DE) PAL 47 Sega Magazin (DE) 47 Sega Power (UK) PAL 55 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 49 Sega Megazone (AU) 77 Todo Sega (ES) 89 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 59 VideoGames (US) 80

	65
Based on 22 reviews

ClayFighter

Mega Drive, US (Assembled in USA)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US (Assembled in Mexico)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US (cardboard) (Majesco Sales)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, PT
Cover

Mega Drive, GR (Zegetron)
Cart

Mega Drive, AU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, AU (alt)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, ZA
Cover
Cart

Technical information

Main article: ClayFighter/Technical information.

External links

• Nintendo catalogue pages: US, UK, AU