Switchblade

Switchblade is an action platformer from studio Core Design, released under the Gremlin Graphics label, which on the Amiga was a notably atmospheric representative of the genre inspired by post-apocalyptic science fiction. The player takes on a warrior named Hiro, who fights his way through underground complexes controlled by the evil tyrant Havok in order to recover the scattered pieces of the legendary sword Fireblade. Along the way he collects various weapons and upgrades that gradually change his combat style and abilities, from fast blades through throwing discs to more powerful energy weapons.

The gameplay combines platform jumping with action focused on both melee and ranged combat, while the level design is fairly maze-like and encourages exploring hidden paths and bonus rooms. The game places emphasis on collecting items and gradually strengthening the character, giving it a light RPG progression element beyond pure platforming action. On the Amiga, the title stood out for its detailed, darkly styled backdrops and the fluid animation of the main character, which were among the better showcases of the machine's graphical capabilities in this genre and gave the game a consistent visual identity.

The music was composed by Matt Furniss, and its raw, industrial tone complemented the grim sci-fi atmosphere of the game well. Switchblade was received positively on release, especially for its atmosphere and graphics, although there were also complaints about the difficulty and about finding one's way in the sprawling, convoluted levels full of hidden traps. Its success led to a sequel, Switchblade II, which further expanded the mechanics. Today the game is remembered mainly as a showcase of Core Design's distinctive visual style from before the studio made its name with Tomb Raider, and as a solid representative of the darker strand of platformers at the turn of the eighties and nineties, showing the roots of the studio's later success in the action-adventure genre.

Why play it: For fans of Core Design and darker platformers from the turn of the eighties and nineties, Switchblade is an interesting showcase of the studio before Tomb Raider, albeit with trickier level navigation.