Gunman Clive HD Collection (Wii U) Review

By Lex Firth 26.12.2015

Review for Gunman Clive HD Collection on Wii U

Gunman Clive proved a surprise hit upon its late 2012 release on 3DS, having already made waves on PC and mobile devices. Developed entirely by one person, this love letter to retro gaming was propelled to success solely based on word of mouth and it's easy to see why - it's a fantastically designed game. Unsurprisingly, a sequel soon followed and was received with similar praise, so it only makes sense that developer Bertil Hörberg has compounded both titles together and given them a new lick of paint for Nintendo's HD console.

For those who haven't yet had the joy of experiencing Gunman Clive, the set-up is a simple damsel-in-distress story that sees the titular hero's lady friend, Ms. Johnson, kidnapped (although, in a nice genre-busting twist, the roles can be reversed). It's up to the gunman to run, jump, and shoot his way through the Wild West and beyond in order to get her back. The gameplay is incredibly simple: it's similar in style to the run-and-gun gameplay of the classic Mega Man titles and just as solid.

Clive 2 is similar in nature but adds further mechanics, as Clive leaves the West and travels the globe, with Space Harrier-style shoot 'em up sections, and even a reaction-testing auto-running level on the back of a panda. The game never ceases to surprise, and each stage is as good as the last, providing a fantastic few hours of gameplay.

Screenshot for Gunman Clive HD Collection on Wii U

However, what truly grabs the player's attention from the outset isn't the tight mechanics, but rather the gorgeous art style for which the series is known. The mostly-monochromatic sketchbook style looks even more gorgeous on the big screen than it did on the handheld, and the injection of colour that Clive 2 brings with it is nothing short of stunning. The music is also consistently fantastic, too, with a good number of catchy tunes that gamers will likely find themselves whistling long after the experience is over.

This is all fantastic for Clive newcomers, but what about for those who have already enjoyed the previous two instalments? Sadly, there's not a lot new on offer here - the only major change is the addition of the sequel's spear-wielding Chieftain Bob character to the first game, so veterans may want to think twice before double-dipping.

Gunman Clive HD Collection is a no-brainer: it's a collection of two of the finest platformers in recent memory and, even though they might be over far too quickly, stand up to multiple playthroughs with a total of four playable characters in each. Those who have already stepped into Clive's world may find themselves left with a bitter taste in their mouth, but for those who haven't, the time has never been better.

Screenshot for Gunman Clive HD Collection on Wii U

Cubed3 Rating

9/10
Rated 9 out of 10

Exceptional - Gold Award

Rated 9 out of 10

Although in some regards a missed opportunity to celebrate the series with new content, Gunman Clive HD Collection is well worth its minuscule asking price, bringing together not only one, but two already classic-status titles from the portable world into one tasty - and delightfully gorgeous HD - package on Wii U eShop. It's one of the best 2D platformers currently on the market and a fantastic example of an indie hit.

Developer

Hörberg Productions

Publisher

Hörberg Productions

Genre

2D Platformer

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  9/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

Comments

Comments are currently disabled

Subscribe to this topic Subscribe to this topic

If you are a registered member and logged in, you can also subscribe to topics by email.
Sign up today for blogs, games collections, reader reviews and much more
Site Feed
Who's Online?
RudyC3

There are 1 members online at the moment.