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Those of you who have a secret yearning for the good old days of 10p arcade machines and simple, two colour games need look no further than Arcade Classics from Firebird Silver, which includes versions of the old favourites, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Snakes and Space Wars.

Space Invaders is practically a pixel-for-pixel copy of the arcade version, retaining all the features of the original.

Asteroids is also faithfully represented, complete with pseudo vector graphic rocks and spaceship. Your vessel is directed by rotate and thrust commands and to progress from level to level, you must destroy all the rocks and asteroids on each screen.

Snakes is a two-player only game where the aim is to kill your opponent's snake by causing him to collide head-on with the body of your own. The aim is to trap your opponent as many times as possible within an adjustable time limit.

Last but not least is Space Wars, another two-player only game, the aim being to destroy your opponent by blasting him with your front-mounted lasers. Both vessels are constantly under the influence of the gravitational pull of a central sun, the strength of which may be set prior to play.

There's masses and masses of playability contained in Arcade Classics, with each of the four games being a good blast in its own right.

Add the four together and throw in a powerful soundtrack, and you come out with one of the best budget releases in ages. The fact that a couple of the games are two player only doesn't detract at all from the sheer fun generated by the whole package. This is one for everyone's collection.

When I first heard that Firebird were going to release an arcade collection, I thought it was a great idea and awaited the outcome with interest.

I'm not disappointed. The conversions aren't perfect, but they're still fun to play - and at 50p a throw, they're certainly far from disastrous. It's a pity that Snakes and Space Wars are two-player only, but if you can get hold of a friend then these are truly Arcade Classics.

Presentation 82%
Great title screen and plenty of options.

Graphics 74%
Fairly basic - but then so were the originals!

Sound 82%
The soundtrack's superb, although some of the more familiar effects are missing.

Hookability 93%
Simplicity was (and is) the name of the game.

Lastability 88%
Each game presents a challenge.

Overall 90%
Great entertainment.