Review: Gunman Clive HD Collection (Nintendo Switch)

Many may remember Gunman Clive 1 and 2 from the 3DS or the HD collection that was released for the Wii U.  Recently the HD collection was also released on the Nintendo Switch. So if you are like me and missed it on both platforms you have a chance to once again try them.

When I started playing Gunman Clive I was instantly hooked. I was only planning to play it a short time but I ended up putting off what I was going to do and continue playing. Although the game is at times difficult it’s certainly not overwhelmingly difficult. As you jump and shoot your way across moving platforms and enemy-filled stages it invokes a feeling of an old West shootout.

The gameplay feels like that of the Megaman series, running and gunning down enemies.  There are different types of gun power-ups such as multishot, laser, and rocket. Once Gunman Clive takes damage he will lose the gun power-up.

Gunman Clive is set somewhere in the 1800s, wherein an attempt to rescue the Mayor’s Daughter, he takes on a group of bandits with futuristic weapons.  You have the choice to play as Clive, Ms. Johnson or Chieftain Bob. Each character plays slightly different than each other. Clive who shoots bullets, Ms. Johnson who has a bit of a flutter while jumping, and Chieftain Bob who attacks with a close-range spear. 

Gunman Clive 2 picks up right where the first one left off. The gameplay remains the same, whereas the difficulty picks up just a little bit. Once again you can choose to play as Clive, Ms. Johnson or Chieftain Bob. Although at first, it appears to be more of the same. Gunman Clive 2 does a great job of adding more variety of stages as he travels around the world. Boss battles in the second game are also a bit more difficult than the first time around. Many times where gun power-ups were offered this time around there were none. Another thing many characters take on a second form after their initial defeat.

Gunman Clive 1 and 2 does a really good job using the minimalist approach of graphics it’s however still beautiful. What needs to be there is there and what doesn’t need to be there isn’t there. The music in both games fit the atmosphere of the game. It never feels like too little or too much. It does a great job of blending Western 1800s to a modern sound.

My only true complaint of the two games is the both felt too short. However, the price tag of $3.99 makes the purchase well worth the price.  Whether a player has experienced the titles before or for the first time Gunman Clive HD certainly is a great game at the price it seems like a total steal. The HD port to the Nintendo Switch certainly was a great idea to move, it would be great to see more Gunman Clive games in the future.