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Software Projects are renowned for their platform games and this one should be a worthy addition to the line. There are fifteen screens, on each of which you have to collect three 'resource' blocks by pushing them onto a matter transporter. The blocks appear one at a time and, as usual, there is a wide range of monsters and obstacles to stop you.

You can start at any one of the 15 screens, so it's a high score challenge. This does have one advantage: you don't suffer the frustration of mastering the first screen just to be killed off in the next!

Also, it's not a matter of passing over objects since you have to move the blocks around the screen. You cannot jump, so your only way up is to stand on top of an erupting volcano which will boost you up to the first platform you come across. You can also travel up by using a red escalator which moves automatically, so watch out for dangers at the top before you decide to use it.

Fortunately, you are allowed to fall any distance in pursuit of your blocks but a missed step may have you trying to hoist yourself up to the top again.

The monsters come in all shapes and sizes, from enormous dragons blowing fireballs to yo-yoing spiders and dipping ducks. Many of these can be disposed of with your handy time delay bombs. These will only destroy the beasts so it won't matter if you drop one accidentally.

As with any platform game, there are different floors and this one has an extending platform which flashes and then disappears. All this means that most screens require good timing to complete and with the time limit on each one, you are continually under pressure to act quickly.

It seems that Software Projects have laid a claim to the platform game and Astronut is another example of this. However, they have not forgotten that originality is the spice of a games player's life, and this new game contains some nice touches which make it fairly special.

I especially liked the volcanoes which throw you into the air and some of the graphics are very good, agreeably surreal and typically zany.

Though not a classic like, say Manic Miner or Jet Set Willy, this is still enjoyable and you probably won't regret paying for it.

Are Spectrum programmers really so lost for ideas that they have resorted to combining elements of previous platform games to make new ones?

I mean, the monsters are more than a little reminiscent of Jet Set Willy and as for the volcanoes - well, substitute them for springs and you've got Frank N Stein.

This is not to say that Astronut isn't enjoyable. It's certainly a worthwhile game in its own right. The graphics are large and brashly colourful, whilst the 15 often difficult screens should prove quite addictive. Soundwise however, things aren't so good.