Gunman Clive

Gunman Clive (known as Gunman Story in Japan) is a side-scrolling platform game created by the Swedish developer Hörberg Productions. It was first released for Android on 2 April 2012. The story centers on Clive, a solitary gunslinger in a futuristic Wild West setting, who must rescue the mayor’s daughter from a gang of bandits armed with advanced technology. A sequel, Gunman Clive 2, came out in 2015, where Clive must save the world from the same group of outlaws. The game is a 2D platformer set in the year 18XX. Players control either Gunman Clive or Ms. Johnson across 20 levels, fighting enemies and navigating moving platforms, traps, and hazards to save the mayor’s daughter. Power-ups include a spread shot, explosive bullets, and a laser gun. Enemies range from rifle- and dynamite-wielding bandits to animals like pelicans and wolves, with bosses appearing every fifth level. All characters have life meters. The visuals are drawn in a sketch-like style, giving the game the feel of an interactive flip book, and the soundtrack pays homage to Western video game themes. Ms. Johnson differs from Clive: she moves slower, freezes in place while shooting, and her skirt slows her descent. A third playable character, a duck, unlocks after completing the game. Three difficulty settings adjust damage taken and respawn points. Hörberg Productions developed the game, with Bertil Hörberg as designer. After its release, Hörberg, who is gay, regretted the lack of gay representation in the game. For the sequel, he included the character Chieftain Bob, partly so that in the Wii U port, Bob could be shown kissing Clive. In Japan, Flyhigh Works handled the release. The game was approved via Steam Greenlight in November 2013. On October 26, 2015, Hörberg released a one-level ROM of Gunman Clive for the Game Boy line, and on May 30, 2016, for the Super NES. Critics generally praised Gunman Clive for its gameplay, art, and style. Destructoid noted its short length, freezes during the second boss fight, and occasional mismatched soundtrack, but called it "a steal at $2" and said fans of 2D action platformers should check it out. IGN described it as a brief but worthwhile experience, praising the three playable characters and calling it a fantastic platformer worth multiple playthroughs. By January 2015, over 400,000 copies had been sold, with more than 80% on the 3DS.