SWIV
Encyclopedia
SWIV was a 2D
vertically-scrolling Shoot 'em up
game originally released in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga
, Atari ST
, Commodore 64
, ZX Spectrum
and Amstrad CPC
home computer
formats.
The game was considered a spiritual successor to Tecmo arcade game Silkworm
, which The Sales Curve
had previously converted to home computer formats in 1989. The Game's heritage is evident from the game design whereby one player pilots a helicopter
, and the other an armoured Jeep
though SWIV is not an official sequel, as noted by ex-Sales Curve producer Dan Marchant: "SWIV wasn't really a sequel to Silkworm, but it was certainly inspired by it and several other shoot-'em-ups that we had played and loved."
In the game's own manual (for the Amiga, at least), however, it was explained that "SWIV" was both an acronym for "Special Weapons Intercept Vehicles" and also short for "Silkworm IV" (even though there was not a Silkworm II or III).
magazine, a 91% from Amiga Action
, 90% from Computer and Video Games
and a 90% from Your Sinclair
under the name of Super SWIV, it was later ported to the Mega Drive under the name of Mega SWIV
. In 1997 a sequel titled SWIV 3D
was released, making use of 3D terrain and models.
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
vertically-scrolling Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
game originally released in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
formats.
The game was considered a spiritual successor to Tecmo arcade game Silkworm
Silkworm (video game)
Silkworm is a classic side scrolling shooter, developed by Tecmo and first released for arcade in 1988. In 1989 it was ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and NES systems by The Sales Curve and released by Virgin Mastertronic.Silkworm also spawned a sort-of...
, which The Sales Curve
SCi
Square Enix Limited, doing business as Square Enix Europe, is a British publisher of video game software wholly owned by Square Enix. Square Enix Europe has its head office in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
had previously converted to home computer formats in 1989. The Game's heritage is evident from the game design whereby one player pilots a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, and the other an armoured Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
though SWIV is not an official sequel, as noted by ex-Sales Curve producer Dan Marchant: "SWIV wasn't really a sequel to Silkworm, but it was certainly inspired by it and several other shoot-'em-ups that we had played and loved."
In the game's own manual (for the Amiga, at least), however, it was explained that "SWIV" was both an acronym for "Special Weapons Intercept Vehicles" and also short for "Silkworm IV" (even though there was not a Silkworm II or III).
Gameplay
SWIV is a vertically scrolling shoot-em-up which plays in a typical fashion to other games in its genre. The player chooses between using either a helicopter or a jeep at the beginning of the game and then plays in their chosen vehicles through scrolling levels, shooting at oncoming enemies. If two players are present, both vehicles will be used at once. Certain enemies when shot drop shield power-ups which can be either picked up to afford temporarily invincibility or detonated to destroy all enemies onscreen. Every so often a boss enemy will attack. The destruction of these bosses will give upgrades to the player's forward firing gun.Critical Reaction
On release SWIV was met with positive reviews from most magazines of the time, receiving a 92% from Amiga FormatAmiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
magazine, a 91% from Amiga Action
Amiga Action
Amiga Action was a monthly magazine about Amiga computer games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Europress and ran for 89 full issues, from October 1989 to December 1996, making it the longest running UK Amiga games magazine. After its closure, it was merged into sister publication Amiga...
, 90% from Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
and a 90% from Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
Sequels
SWIV was popular enough to spawn a direct sequel which arrived for the Super NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
under the name of Super SWIV, it was later ported to the Mega Drive under the name of Mega SWIV
Mega SWIV
Mega SWIV is a top-down shoot 'em up released for the Mega Drive. It was released as Super SWIV on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the third game in the series, following 1988's Silkworm and 1991's SWIV for home computers...
. In 1997 a sequel titled SWIV 3D
SWIV 3D
SWIV 3D is a 3D video game remake of SWIV developed and published by SCi Games in 1996. It is the last game in the Silkworm/SWIV series and the only game of the series to use a voxel-based 3D engine....
was released, making use of 3D terrain and models.
External links
- SWIV at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Hall of Light profile of Amiga SWIV