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Graphics aren't everything and, in a way, that's the whole story behind Anarchy. One of the new budget Rack-It releases, Anarchy is only OKish to look at, but it doesn't matter. The gameplay is terrific! And if anyone remembers it - it's a bit Boulderdash-like.

It's a plan-view game. You're looking down on a sector of some rebel base and there's your rather measly tank with a pop gun on the front. You've got just two minutes to rush around and clear out all the weapon dumps on that floor before you go on to the next one.

Slightly Pac-Man like methinks?

The gameplay is similar. It's a question of chasing around the place, dodging things that just want to bump into you, knocking out innocent little blocks for mega-points. And after that? On to the next level of course.

Nothing's actually firing at you, which is a good thing. You can get on and wipe out the weapons, no sweat. Apart from the horrible little security droids which follow you around in an incredibly ill-mannered fashion, bumping into you and depriving you of one of your three valuable lives.

You can't afford to lose them. There's an awful lot of destruction to get on with.

So that things aren't simple, there's a hint of maze-ness about the game. Scattered around the playing area are solid blocks which can't be shot. Nestling unhelpfully behind, beside, around these blocks are the weapon dumps. Can you suss out the best way to get them?

It's certainly hard in the time limit. There's always a way round them, it's just a question of finding it.

If you manage to destroy everything on the floor in the time the air-lock to the next level opens and you can proceed to the exit. However, it's still possible for you to run out of time, and it's still possible to be hit by the droids.

As you can't Fire at this point to stun the droids, things are pretty unfair. But show me where it says life has to be fair?

Shooting things is not easy either. You need a good tank's length between you and the block in order to destroy it. Getting your muzzle right next to the block and hammering the Fire button doesn't work. At first it seems that there's no way you can destroy the blocks which are close to the walls. There is a solution, it's very simple, but I'm not going to tell you what it is!

Worra great game! If only all budget games could be as good as this.

Superb, simple and horribly addictive. This one will give you square eyes. Promise. A Boulderdash for '88.