Gunman Clive

Gunman Clive is a short but energetic action platformer set in a stylized western world, characterized by distinctive black-and-white graphics reminiscent of a pencil drawing or old film footage, only occasionally accented with a touch of color. The player takes on the role of the gunslinger Clive, who sets out to rescue the mayor's kidnapped daughter, or alternatively his companion, Miss Johnson, and works through a series of short, action-packed levels full of shooting, platform jumping, and battles with striking bosses, with both playable characters offering a slightly different combat and movement style along with their own difficulty nuances.

Despite its low budget and simple artistic approach, the game feels surprisingly confident thanks to precise controls, well-balanced boss fights, and a brisk pace that never loses momentum even in longer stretches. The soundtrack rounds out the western atmosphere with a light, at times comic-book tone that matches the title's overall, slightly ironic mood and visual style.

Upon its eShop release, Gunman Clive earned unexpectedly great attention, with critics and players alike praising its quality-to-price ratio and how elegantly a small, essentially one-person team managed to build an entertaining and visually inventive platformer on a limited budget. It still serves as a frequently cited example of how clever design and a distinctive visual style can outshine much larger and more expensive productions. Its short length, which in other titles might feel like a shortcoming, works here instead as an advantage – the game never gets bogged down in unnecessary repetition and ends before it could exhaust its concept, while both playable characters give a reason to play through the whole game again and compare the two combat styles, making a short title surprisingly replayable even for players who don't normally seek out double playthroughs.