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Just how sharp is the latest release from the Sheffield software house? Our reviewer takes a close look under the manhole cover and he's quite blunt about what he finds

The hero in Switchblade has a bionic cyber arm complete with detachable kitchen utensils. Aaaand, to keep it working he must have to grease it, right? Hence the phrase 'elbow grease'. Oh please yourselves...

Your character's name is Hiro, and you are one of a team of bionic Bladeknights. You and your cyborg chums look after the people of the Undercity, so called because it's underground, down below and generally beneath the rest of the World. Tragically, an evil chappy called Havok has come along with a load of dubious thugs and killed all the Bladeknights and most of the Undercity citizens as well, just 'cos they were in the way, really. They have also shattered the Fireblade, the source of the Bladeknights' power. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is retrieve the sixteen fragments of the Fireblade to restore your power. Oh yes, and if you do that you can kill Havok too, if you have the time. Not as easy as it sounds (and it doesn't even sound easy).

Visually, the game is reminiscent of Rick Dangerous (and so it should be with the same team behind it), and like RD 1 and 2 the play area is shown as a side view cutaway of the various rooms and passageways. The gameplay is very different though, leaning more towards a beat-'em-up style, rather than the puzzle-intensive RD format.

A nice feature of the screen display is that each section of the city is invisible until you enter it, so you never know what's around the next bend, just like in real life. But once you've accessed an area it remains visible throughout the rest of the game, or at least each time you re-enter it, it's like having a memory of where you've been. [Not that we know what having a memory's like in the CF office! - Ed]

Controlling your knight is a bit difficult to start with. Moving left and right is easy enough but judging jumps is very tricky. This is because you seem to defy all laws of physics when in mid leap. The animation on the jump is a bit odd, but with practice it stops being a hindrance. Fighting is also an acquired skill. Pressing the fire button initiates one of a number of attack types. Whereas in many games the joystick would be used to select the move you want, in this game it is the length of time you keep the button pressed that dictates it. To help you, a power bar is displayed to the bottom right of the screen. A quick press causes Hiro to perform a high punch. At the other end of the scale, a long button press accesses the crouching kick move which, incidentally, is also the most powerful. There are many different moves, some of which come in handy during tricky but non-confrontational situations. More on that later.

Your enemies in the Undercity are almost as bizarre and varied as Art Ed 'Ollie' Alderton's trouser collection. There's the weeny Spikelice (one swift kick to the soft part should see him off), the Mansnakes (who are a little more powerful but still no real threat), and the Crest heads who are menacing Mohican-haired fiends and more than a little persistent. But these are as nothing compared to the Giant Roborganism or, last but not least, Havok himself. In fact the latter two are so hideous they aren't even pictured in the game manual, so you'll have to wait until you encounter them to see what they're like. There are sixteen opponents in all, far too many to list individually here, and, although you can despatch them with one quick move, their high concentration of attacks are likely to do you in, in the end.

Flames come out of the floor, as do spikes and bladeballs but avoiding them is merely a case of timing your jump. The only puzzle lies in trying to reach places which at first seem inaccessible. Sometimes a wall is made up of breakable blocks: destroy them and maybe reveal a bonus as well.

Fortunately bonuses are plentiful in the game. There's a variety of firing weapons to be collected, a welcome break from all the baddie beating up you have to do. You can also collect extra speed, invulnerability, power-ups and vitality restorers.

Visually Switchblade blows hot and cold. The subdued colours and depth of the Undercity provide a great deal of atmosphere. It's all very tight and claustrophobic. But the sprites, your opponents and Hiro himself, are pretty average and poorly animated. When you're in a fight the mish-mash of flying limbs gets very confusing. It's actually possible to kill an opponent with your back turned to him!

It is, however, a map maker's dream. Both the nifty display and the mini diversionary tunnels make exploration thrill. But regretfully, I don't think there's enough mental stimulation to prevent the onset of boredom after several days' play.

1. Fantastic atmosphere of claustrophobia generated by subdued background visuals
2. Plenty of opponents to encounter at your peril
3. Novel display method adds to atmosphere
4. A wide choice of different weapons to collect
5. Further exploration encouraged by hidden bonuses
6. Destructible clocks enhance path-finding element
7. Friendly display features

1. Sprite animation is pretty poor
2. The weird combat system takes a bit of getting used to
3. Jumping is far too hit 'n miss
4. The gameplay lacks the variety that would keep your interest