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| Switchblade | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Core Design |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Simon Phipps |
| Composer(s) | Ben Daglish |
| Series | Switchblade |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action-platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Switchblade is a 1989 side-scrolling action-platform run and gun video game originally developed by Core Design and published by Gremlin Graphics in Europe for the Atari ST home computers.[1][2] The first installment in the eponymous two-part series, the game is set in a dystopian future where players assume the role of Hiro from the Blade Knights as he embarks on a journey to defeat Havok, the main antagonist who broke free from his imprisonment after the sacred Fireblade was shattered into several pieces. Its gameplay consists of run and gun action mixed with platforming and exploration elements, with a main single-button configuration.
Heavily drawing inspiration from both Japanese and Western pop culture as well as various games, Switchblade was solely created by Core Design co-founder and Rick Dangerous designer Simon Phipps in his spare time, who took a year and a half to complete it while working alongside on other projects at the company.[2][3][4] Initially released for the Atari ST platform, the title was later ported to other microcomputers and consoles including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad GX4000, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, each with several changes and additions from the original version.[5]
Since its original release on the Atari ST, Switchblade garnered mostly positive reception from critics who praised multiple aspects such as the anime-inspired presentation, visuals, sound design and gameplay but others criticized the game's slow pacing, controls and difficulty. Other versions of the game were met with a similarly positive response from reviewers. Its critical success would prompt the development of a sequel eight months later, Switchblade II, which was created by a new team at Gremlin Graphics without the involvement of Phipps and garnered a positive reception from the public as with the original title upon its release on Amiga, but was not widely ported to other platforms.[6][7]
- ^ "Switchblade". Retro Gamer. 27 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b Phipps, Simon (2019). "Switchblade". simonphipps.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ Whitta, Gary (December 1989). "Review - Switchblade - From the team that put the dangerous into Rick comes Gremlin's mix of action and exploration. Gary Whitta's going underground..." The One. No. 15. EMAP. pp. 113–114.
- ^ McDonald, Duncan; Kelly, Sean (January 1990). "Review - Switchblade". Zero. No. 3. pp. 52–53. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Top Ten Amstrad GX4000 Games". Retro Gamer. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ Slingsby, Dan (April 1991). "Screenscene - Switchblade II". CU Amiga. No. 14. EMAP. pp. 63–64.
- ^ Driscoll, Paul (8 August 2009). "Switchblade 2". Retro Gamer. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
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