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If you thought Arkanoid was addictive then just get a load of Alligata's Addictaball. Addictive by name, addictive by nature. It must be the best Alligata game for an age!

Basically it's Arkanoid which scrolls, with a lot of extra added ingredients. There's the standard spacecraft-bat complete with standard ball and the standard bricks to knock out.

Then you get added armaments/boosters to collect, plus bonus bricks which have different effects on your progress. You have to guard against falling bricks and fireballs which damage the barrier behind your bat.

Unlike Arkanoid you get the added protection of that wall which bounces your ball back into the action and gives you more time to work out a strategy to blast away the walls which move closer by the second.

The back wall can be repaired by hitting bricks marked "B" - but it's best not to allow any fireballs through if you want to keep going.

Each level is based on a theme, Transport, Space, Circus etc - but it's hard to see the relevance of this when all you see is - say - a bus which moves back and forth across the screen to mark the start of the next level. But who cares when the game is so great?

Collect the rocket booster and blaster at the start of the game and take care of them. You'll need the blaster to kill off whirling alien creatures released when you hit certain bricks. You'll need the booster to dodge your way around the bikes and buses which block your way at the end of each level. You can collect extra ammo and fuel by hitting special bricks along the way - but they aren't always there when you need them!

Other special bricks allow you to stop the scrolling for a short time, catch the ball on your bat, slow or speed up the ball. Bricks marked with a skull and crossbones blow bigger holes in barriers when hit, and there are mystery bricks which do mysterious things.

Watch out for secret hyperspace transporters which speed you through time and space to new levels or simply a different section of the level you are currently playing.

There's a two-player option and the game can be played using joystick - or mouse on the ST version we tested. I found the mouse the best bet on the ST - after all, the movements are pretty straightforward.

Up to now the ST has been lacking games of this addictive quality - but Addictaball will alter all that! Hopefully the other versions will be just as nifty. We'll let you know as soon as we can - meanwhile ST owners should make this a big hit.