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Jelly Boy

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Jelly Boy is an unreleased Sega Mega Drive platform game. It was developed by Probe Software with the aim of being published by Ocean Software in February 1995. Electronic Arts are also credited. Jelly Boy on the Mega Drive was almost complete when it was axed for unknown reasons. Development ...

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Developer
Probe Software

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Sega Genesis

Requirements
Sega Genesis

Downloads
Action

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Jelly Boy is an unreleased Sega Mega Drive platform game. It was developed by Probe Software with the aim of being published by Ocean Software in February 1995. Electronic Arts are also credited.

Jelly Boy on the Mega Drive was almost complete when it was axed for unknown reasons. Development is presumed to have taken place around 1994/1995 – a Game Boy version saw a release in PAL territories in 1994, with a similar Super Nintendo version being released in early 1995. No versions of the game have ever been released outside of PAL regions.

It is entirely unrelated to another Super Nintendo game, Jelly Boy 2 which also wound up being cancelled – Jelly Boy 2 is actually a sequel to the Super Nintendo game Jerry Boy, known as Smart Ball outside of Japan.

It is unknown why Jelly Boy was cancelled. Review copies were sent to the gaming press and a fully playable prototype has since been dumped and released online.

Jelly Boy

Overview & History

Developed by Probe Software and published by Ocean Software, Jelly Boy is a quirky, colorful platformer that originally graced European SNES and Game Boy systems before gaining a cult following. Though a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version was fully developed by the talented team at Twilight and slated for release around 1994, it tragically suffered cancellation amidst shifting publisher priorities, remaining an elusive 'holy grail' for retro collectors until prototype ROMs finally surfaced years later. The storyline follows a mischievous, sentient blob of blue gelatin named Jelly Boy who must navigate a surreal, toy-filled dreamscape after accidentally bringing a mad inventor's workshop to life. Across vibrant stages designed like giant pinball machines, giant clocks, and candy-coated workshops, players must rescue trapped friends and thwart the robotic uprising.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard linear platformers, Jelly Boy relies heavily on physics-based momentum and bizarre morphological transformations. Players control the malleable protagonist through side-scrolling environments where Jelly Boy can bounce off surfaces, squeeze through narrow grates, and stretch across gaps. The standout gameplay mechanic is Jelly Boy's ability to collect transformation icons that morph him into various objects—such as a speeding wheel, a heavy anvil, a wind-up mouse, and a pogo stick—each granting unique traversal abilities and puzzle-solving mechanics required to bypass devious obstacles and defeat wacky bosses.