OK, I have to admit that I'm not usually a fan of arcade shooters with no plot, but SWIV 3D blew me away! I remember playing SWIV on the Amiga500 years ago and have been salivating at the chance to play this updated classic - which, as it turns out, is very different from the original.
In SWIV 3D you fly/drive a helicopter, 4-wheel-drive jeep, ice buggy, or hovership through a variety of terrestrial and extraterrestrial landscapes. Several stages include garages where you switch from a ground vehicle to an air vehicle and vice-versa. Each of your vehicles carries more firepower than Quino or Campa (see Desperado), with weapons ranging from wimpy missiles to the almighty smart bomb. With over ten special weapons at your disposal, explosions and destruction are plentiful in SWIV.
The 3-D look of SWIV makes for a truly incredible gaming experience as you fly through canyons and speed over ice-covered terrain in search of rebel strongholds. On a P133, I experienced no graphical slowdown, even with a screen full of enemy helicopters, tanks, boats, and missile launchers. Gameplay is just as smooth, and the intuitive interface ensures that even the casual gamer will be up in the air attacking the treacherous rebel dogs in no time at all. A powerful soundtrack accents the action and offers you the choice between beat-pounding techno fare (which, surprisingly enough, is actually worth listening to in its own right) and classical pieces from Wagner and Mussorgsky - or a mix of the two. There is nothing quite as satisfying as laying waste to a rebel base while listening to Ride of the Valkyries or Night on Bald Mountain.
The only drawbacks to SWIV 3D are the lack of sound effects and the fact that the game is harder than winning a fight against Lou Ferrigno (you know, the Incredible Hulk). The only noticeable sound effect is the hum of the engine, and it's almost completely overpowered by the music. Because SWIV 3D is so difficult(and I mean difficult...the rebels really open up a can of whoop-ass on you), you are often doomed to frustratingly and continually play the same level.
SWIV 3D kicks ass in the shooter genre and avid action gamers will almost certainly kick themselves for not picking up a copy.
