Just when you thought it was safe to go out and buy the full price mega-game that you saved up for, look what happens - Beau Jolly goes and releases the sort of compilation tape that is impossibly difficult to resist. Isn't that typical? Now you don't know what to do.

I know what I'd do though, for me. Five Star Games is a smashing release with five games that I always thought were some of the best quality software hits of last year.

Included in this revered collection are two of your very own SU Classics namely Three Weeks in Paradise from Mikro-gen and Back to Skool that zany sequel to Skooldaze from Microsphere.

If you then add to these the masterful Zoids, the classy Spindizzy and the highly acclaimed Equinox, you have a compilation that is great value in anybody's eyes.

Back to Skool I enjoyed tremendously. In fact I hold the world record for amassing 10,000 lines in the game. The storyline is all about trying to return your doctored school report back into the Heads' safe without him noticing.

Spindizzy, although being a Marble Madness clone, is the best example of how to copy a good idea. It is very playable, and has enough differences to Marble Madness to really stand alone in its own right.

Three Weeks in Paradise is a 'Wally' game. This time he's in the jungle looking for his loved ones. Wilma and Herbert, who've been captured by natives. The large graphics are a pleasure to watch and the game itself is pure entertainment.

Zoids caused quite a stir when it was first released and seasoned hacks lined up to pay tribute to the game. Not only are you joined to a Blue Spiderzoid in the battle with the enemy, the red zoids, but also with your own mind as your own Droid's defense systems may effect your decisions if it feels threatened. A hell of a lot is packed into 48K of this game.

Finally, there's Equinox, a maze-like graphic adventure-cum-platform game, which is simple to learn and yet fiendishly difficult to solve. It's all about collecting radio-active cannisters from numerous levels before they blow up.

Forget that mega-game. Go and buy Five Star Games - you won't regret it.

Label: Beau-Jolly Price: £9.95 Memory: 48K/128K Reviewer: Andy Moss

*****

A terrific va/ue-for- money compilation packed with hits. Five great games for the price of one.