# SWIV

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SWIV
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SWIV.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIV
> Source revision: 1298255173
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/The_Sales_Curve)
| publisher = Storm
| designer = 
| released = 1991
| genre = [Scrolling shooter](/source/Scrolling_shooter)
| modes = [Single-player](/source/Single-player), [multiplayer](/source/multiplayer)
| platforms = [Amiga](/source/Amiga), [Atari ST](/source/Atari_ST), [Acorn Archimedes](/source/Acorn_Archimedes), [ZX Spectrum](/source/ZX_Spectrum), [Amstrad CPC](/source/Amstrad_CPC), [Commodore 64](/source/Commodore_64), [MSX](/source/MSX), [Game Boy Color](/source/Game_Boy_Color)
}}

'''''SWIV''''' is a 1991 [vertically scrolling shooter](/source/scrolling_shooter) [video game](/source/video_game) developed and published by [The Sales Curve](/source/The_Sales_Curve). It was released for the [Amiga](/source/Amiga), [Atari ST](/source/Atari_ST), [Commodore 64](/source/Commodore_64), [MSX](/source/MSX), [ZX Spectrum](/source/ZX_Spectrum), and [Amstrad CPC](/source/Amstrad_CPC) computers. A [Game Boy Color](/source/Game_Boy_Color) conversion was published in 2001.

The game was considered a spiritual successor to [Tecmo](/source/Tecmo)'s arcade game ''[Silkworm](/source/Silkworm_(video_game))'', which [The Sales Curve](/source/SCi_Games) 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](/source/helicopter), and the other an armoured [Jeep](/source/Willys_MB). ''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](/source/Amiga_Format)'' magazine, an 88% from Commodore Format (C64 version) a 91% from'' [Amiga Action](/source/Amiga_Action)'', 90% from ''[Computer and Video Games](/source/Computer_and_Video_Games)'', and a 90% from ''[Your Sinclair](/source/Your_Sinclair)''. It was ranked the 27th best game of all time by ''[Amiga Power](/source/Amiga_Power)''.<ref>Amiga Power magazine issue 0, [Future Publishing](/source/Future_Publishing), May 1991</ref>

== Legacy ==
A sequel was published for the [Super Nintendo Entertainment System](/source/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System) as ''[Super SWIV](/source/Super_SWIV)''. It was ported to the [Mega Drive](/source/Mega_Drive) as ''Mega SWIV''. In 1997 ''[SWIV 3D](/source/SWIV_3D)'' was released, with 3D terrain and models.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{abime|id=2240}}
*{{Lemon Amiga game|id=1029}}

{{Authority control}}

{{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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SWIV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIV) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIV?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.