Gunman Clive 3DS Review: A Modern Day Mega Man

Gunman Clive
Platform: Nintendo 3DS eShop ($1.99)
Publisher: Bertil Hörberg
Genre: Shooter, Platformer, Action

Are you craving a little Mega Man like games off the Nintendo eShop? Well, look no further then Gunman Clive. It’s an unique shooter and platformer hybrid that really works well. Being one of the cheapest games on the eShop also helps its image and should really be downloaded by all who can. The game is set in a western shooter back in 18XX, where outlaws and bandits have kidnapped a damsel in distress.

The game is essentially a modern day Mega Man in the gameplay sense. You have a little bit of platforming mixed in with the shooting aspect. All in all, you get this game. Coming from smartphones to the Nintendo 3DS has one huge advantage, the dpad. The game controls very well with actual buttons and a more efficient way to move. Clive must face several levels before reaching a different unique boss before finally rescuing the damsel in need. Each boss is harder than the one before it and different that you aren’t doing the same thing you were doing last time.

Throughout the game you will find many upgrades for better weapons. Some shoot three shots in different directions at once and others fire slow moving powerful shots. While others are laser like and go through objects. Even with these advance weapons, you shouldn’t get too comfortable. One hit and they will be knocked off you and you will be back to your normal weapon. So while trying to reach the end, it’s in your best interest to watch your step and the ongoing bullets firing around your head. Along with weapon upgrades, you will also find cakes to refill your health. Both weapon upgrades and cake health packs are occasionally dropped during boss battles to help you out.

The look of the game is amazing. It seriously looks like a bunch of sketch drawings that are coming to life. It’s a very unique look that also happens to make the 3D look amazing as well. The developer really put some effort into the 3D as when you start to enable it, the whole world around you starts to transform. It’s really amazing how great this game looks in 3D. Since it’s also part platformer, the 3D effect also does a lot to help judge your jumping as well. Gunman Clive not only looks nice, but also sounds amazing as well. The music is off the charts with this game. I could listen to the background music for hours easily.

Since this game is a port of the smartphone version of the same price, it also features a few extras. The main extras are in the form of two extra characters. The first is unlocked at the very start as the main Damsel. If you pick her, her physics are slightly different with the ability to hover, similar to Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros 2. If you do pick her, she will now be trying to rescue a captured Clive. The other character is not unlocked till you beat the main game. I should warn you, do not read the rest of this paragraph if you don’t want to be spoiled of who or what the third unlocked character is. The final unlocked character is a duck. A playable duck is both awesome and funny all at once and makes replaying the entire game as a duck very very funny. Unlike Clive, you cannot shoot back. So the entire gameplay shifts to a platformer game. Like any duck, you have the ability to fly for a tiny bit to get over obstacles or gunmen. Since you don’t have any weapons, you will need to make it through each level without dying. It’s a worthy challenge for anyone that is up for it.

If you are looking for a fun shooter and platformer hybrid, look no further. Gunman Clive on the Nintendo 3DS eShop is the perfect game to play for 5 minutes or play for a few hours at a time. Not only does the game feature enrich music, but also features some of the best examples of 3D effects found on the Nintendo 3DS. At an extremely low price of $1.99 and a few extras thrown in, this game has a lot going on for it.

Rating: 10/10

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  1. i just got it on 3ds today. i’m already at the final level boss, level 20.
    i like how the jump is touch sensitive, short and tall. but the enemies can fire at you diagonally like contra but you can’t and you can’t shoot up either. def worth $2