SWIV

SWIV
Developer(s)Random Access
Publisher(s)Storm (The Sales Curve)
Platform(s)Amiga, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Game Boy Color
Release1991
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)1 or 2 Players

SWIV is a vertically scrolling shooter released in 1991 for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC computers. A Game Boy Color conversion was published in 2001.

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. 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."[1]

According to the game's manual, "SWIV" was an acronym for "Special Weapons Interdiction Vehicle" and also short for "Silkworm IV", a lethal homing missile used by enemy units.[2]

  1. ^ Bevan, Mike (2008). "The Making of SWIV", Retro Gamer (58): 40-43.
  2. ^ "SWIV Instructions". Internet Archive. Retrieved 11 January 2024.