{{Use British English|date=September 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Distinguish|SW4 (disambiguation){{!}}SW4}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox video game | title = SWIV | image = SWIV Cover.jpg | caption = | developer = The Sales Curve | publisher = Storm | designer = | released = 1991 | genre = Scrolling shooter | modes = Single-player, multiplayer | platforms = Amiga, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Game Boy Color }}
'''''SWIV''''' is a 1991 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by The Sales Curve. It was released 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's 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."<ref>Bevan, Mike (2008). "The Making of SWIV", Retro Gamer (58): 40-43.</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=SWIV Instructions |url=https://ia600604.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/1/items/World_of_Spectrum_June_2017_Mirror/World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror.zip&file=World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror/sinclair/games-info/s/SWIV.txt |website=Internet Archive |access-date=11 January 2024}}</ref>
== Gameplay == SWIV is a 2D vertically scrolling shooter. 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.
==Reception== {{Video game reviews | award1Pub = ''Sinclair User'' | award1 = SU Classic | award2Pub = ''Your Sinclair'' | award2 = Megagame }} On release SWIV was met with positive reviews from most magazines of the time, receiving a 92% from ''Amiga Format'' magazine, an 88% from Commodore Format (C64 version) a 91% from'' Amiga Action'', 90% from ''Computer and Video Games'', and a 90% from ''Your Sinclair''. It was ranked the 27th best game of all time by ''Amiga Power''.<ref>Amiga Power magazine issue 0, Future Publishing, May 1991</ref>
== Legacy == A sequel was published for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as ''Super SWIV''. It was ported to the Mega Drive as ''Mega SWIV''. In 1997 ''SWIV 3D'' was released, with 3D terrain and models.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{abime|id=2240}} *{{Lemon Amiga game|id=1029}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiv}} Category:1991 video games Category:Acorn Archimedes games Category:Amiga games Category:Amstrad CPC games Category:Atari ST games Category:Commodore 64 games Category:Helicopter video games Category:MSX games Category:SCi Games games Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom Category:ZX Spectrum games Category:Game Boy Color games Category:Vertically scrolling shooters Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games