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Arcadians was the first Galaxian game released for the BBC many moons ago and it's still the best one around. It has now been converted for the Electron and is as demanding as ever.

Galaxian was the logical progression from space invaders. The ominous cloud of aliens is retained but they are now allowed to indulge in dive bombing tactics. This minor modification to the game increases the level of difficulty tenfold, I wouldn't bother looking for the safety of your shields either, you don't get any in Arcadians.

There are four separate types of alien, each having its own scoring value. Hit a ship while it's making a bombing run and it's scoring value is doubled. The value of the command ships, which hover above the main squadron, can vary. These ships normally attack in conjunction with two scout ships. Should you take out the two scout ships before destroying the command ship then it is worth a whole 800 points. However, you will need to practise quite a while before being able to pull off that stunt with any regularity.

The system employed to display the score is one of the best I have seen on any game. At all times during combat the player's score and position in the hi-score table is displayed, from position 30 upwards. This adds to the tension as you watch the points click up towards the number one slot.

If an accurate reproduction of a classic arcade game is what you are looking for then Arcadians fits the bill.

J.R.