Genre: Action
Perspective: Side view
Gameplay: Arcade, Platform
Published by: Gremlin Graphics Software Limited
Developed by: Core Design Ltd.
Released: 1990
Platforms: Amstrad CPC, SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive, Amiga
Switchblade is a platformer from Simon Phipps, one of the creators of the Rick Dangerous series, which he did in his spare time for 18 months, originally at the Atari ST (it was his first game for this platform). And it turned out very cool! How do you like Rick's analog, but in the form of a special commander with a bandage on his head in gloomy dungeons against robotic mutants? Here I am about the same.
The plot is quite simple - a hero named Hiro (you could somehow orally call it) should take revenge on cyborgs for the death of their people, Bladeknights, collecting 16 fragments of the legendary Fireblade. The game engine is very similar to Rick's, but here, in addition to the huge branched map and triggered by the enemies, actively using its own chip - the opening elements of the map, that is sometimes you need to break the wall or just go to a certain place, and only then the passage is shown . Some passages lead to a dead end, others - open the way further. But we must not forget that it is necessary to collect all 16 fragments of the sword!
Fighting Hiro, usually hand to hand, but can find additional weapons, such as - stars or daggers. Enemies do not behave aggressively, go straight to you and give themselves to be beaten; They can give change only occasionally and if they do not press the strike button in time. The danger is represented by all kinds of traps and falls from a height.
The game has gained some fame in our country on the Spectrum, but we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the version for the Commodore Amiga, which is closest to the author's idea (since, in fact, differs little from the original source for the Atari ST). In addition to the addictive gameplay and excellent for its time graphics in Switchblade are also amazing music, both in the cutscene and in the game itself. Wrote her wonderful musician with Commodore 64 - Ben Daglish. A unique classic of the platform genre, mandatory for familiarization!