Switchblade

We've got a bit of a soft spot for old Gremlin here at YS. When other people are concentrating so much on the 16-bitties it's jolly heartening indeed to see a smaller company spreading its games with equal enthusiasm over all the formats. And what games, eh, Spec-chums? Phew-ee! Shadow Of The Beast and Lotus have helped the boys raise their image no end, and there's more to come in the shape of Toyota Celica Rally and Hero Quest (see p66). Bit of a shame really that they've kept us waiting so blimming long for Switchblade then, isn't it?

At last! A decent platform game on the GX4000! Switchblade might not look like the greatest game in the world due to the rather drab backgrounds, but it's the playability that counts, and this has it in abundance. The landscape is huge, and there are loads of hidden screens and bonuses waiting to be discovered - just like a platform game should have! It's a pretty tough game, and you certainly have to battle every inch of the way! It helps if you make a map (if you do, send it in to the tips section!), as there are a variety of different routes around the landscape, and some are more hazard-packed than others. If you're a GX4000 owner who's looking for something decent to play, splash your cash on this smash!

As Hiro, last of the Blade Knights, your task is to find the lost pieces of the mystical Fireblade and free the world from the tyranny of the evil Havok. What could be a fairly dreary task is enlivened by the superb implementation of an otherwise fairly standard platform format. Whether using your fists or one of the many weapons lying around the dungeon, the sliding power bar makes performing different moves simple and elegant. The difficulty is also pitched just right. Graphically, things are spot-on; the detailed MODE 1 graphics provide a suitably gloomy ambience. A great tune plays throughout too - a relatively rare thing in CPC games. There are a couple of niggles (Hiro's jumping can be slightly clumsy at times), but generally this is one of the most professional titles ever released for the CPC, and a cartridge version is also available for Plus machines.

Written by Core, Switchblade looks very similar to their early hit, Rick Dangerous. It uses the same grey colours as in Rick D's first level, and a lot of the traps seem the same. However, don't let these similarities put you off, as Switchblade is every bit as good as Rick Dangerous. The game is easy to get into, and there is a wide range of monsters to fight off. In addition, finding the sixteen pieces of the sword is far from easy, ensuring that you will keep coming back to it. Switchblade is an extremely playable game, and one that is most certainly worth considering.

Da sag noch einer, Plattformspiele wären nicht mehr "in". "Switchblade" besitzt zwar absolut keine tolle Grafik, die grau in grau gehalten ist und obendrein im gesamten Verlauf des Spiels gleichbleibt. Das schadet der Spielmotivation aber keineswegs. Denn der große Reiz liegt hier im Erkunden der Unterwelt, die mit jedem Schritt größer und komplexer wird. Zudem ist das Spiel so gut gestaltet, daß es in allen Räumen eine Strategie gibt, die Monster ohne Energieverlust zu besiegen. Das Spiel hat für meinen Geschmack eine hervorragende Musik, die zwar auch immer gleich bleibt, den Spielverlauf aber wirkungsvoll untermalt. Alles in allem sind das für mich Zutaten zu einem Suchtspiel, das nicht so schnell den Diskettenschacht verläßt.

Spielerisch hat sich gegenüber der Amiga-Version nichts geändert. Wer Action-Adventures mag, muß dieses Spiel trotz durchschnittlicher Grafik haben.

Switchblade sounded to us to be a bit of a corny title for a game but after a few attempts we changed our tune. The heroic characters sprite is a chunky little chap who wastes no time in laying into the enemy, either bare-handed or with a range of very lethal weapons. Sound is also good with the choice of an atmospheric tune or thwack, bang crunch sound effects. In short, Switchblade is an enjoyable bash-'em-up romp.

After 10,000 years of peace on the cyber world of Thraxx, the magic Fireblade has shattered and the evil Havok has come to power. Only one brave Bladeknight, Hiro, has survived. But before he can take on Havok the sixteen fragments of the Fireblade, scattered throughout five levels of the below-ground Undercity, must be found.

Damit seine Aufgabe auch nicht zu leicht wird, tauchen fortwährend die unangenehmsten Gegner auf, von der Stachel-Laus bis zum Riesen-Seorpoid. Bekämpft werden sie mit Hiro’s programmierbarem „Cyber-Arm“, der insgesamt sieben verschiedene Waffen abfeuern kann. Leider währt die Freude oft nur kurz: kaum hat man eine der Waffen aufgesammelt, verliert man sie auch schon wieder, zusammen mit einem seiner fünf Leben!