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Robokid has just graduated from The Universal University of Space Combat. But to pay off all those student loans he urgently needs a job, so he 'volunteers' for a mission into dangerous enemy territory.

Robokid can walk (not in the C64 version) or use his jet-pack to fly through multi-directionally scrolling levels. These are filled with alien gun turrets and various flying aliens which, although not fatal to touch, fire deadly bullets.

Robokid starts off with a standard gun to blast them. Killing one of the occasionally appearing Meta Birds reveals a gem containing a permanent extra weapon: Fire 2 (increased shot power), Three-way fire, Fire-way fire or Missile bombs (these are especially useful for destroying enemy bullets). Weapons can be switched between by pressing the Space bar (on the Amiga you can choose between this method and holding down Fire).

Collecting four special gems on the Amiga gives Robokid either a shield or automatic fire lasting about thirty seconds. When he dies, Robokid loses the currently used weapon.

The route through the game's 28 levels can be chosen as some levels have more than one exit. Every third level features a massive end-of-level creature. When this is killed, Robokid must deal with a robot, shooting at it through a wall of moving asteroids.

Atomic Robokid is a rather obscure coin-op, but one which Activision have certainly put their heart into converting. The C64 version is particularly impressive, with a huge number of levels and plenty of graphic variety.

While the first level contents itself with a black backdrop and some nice, Giger-esque floors and ceilings, later levels have elaborate and extremely colourful backgrounds with masses of enemy sprites scurrying about.

Then there's all the massive creatures which crop up - end-of-level monsters with a level all to themselves! The main gameplay isn't that original - 'blast everything in sight and collect add-on weapons' - but the large range of graphics help compensate. I especially like the way you're presented with choices at the end of many levels, allowing you to vary your route through the game.

On the negative side some of the levels are quite short - making a tape version difficult to imagine - and when blasted guns go off-screen and come back on they're restored to action. But if you fancy a large, varied challenge, this shoot-'em-up has plenty to offer.

The Amiga game packs in even more detail with a few more creatures and power-up icons. There are also more backgrounds, and shot gun emplacements stay destroyed. As with the C64 the game's attraction relies heavily on the sheer graphical variety - minor gameplay variations such as the vertical cips in the horizontally scrolling action don't add that much.

The actual graphics are impressive for their detail as well, but the colour shading is a little crude - you can tell it was designed with the ST in mind. It's also a little slower than the C64 version, but the sheer amount of work put into this program shows and it's well worth a look.

It may resemble a scrolling Cybernoid but Atomic Robokid is nowhere near hot enough for a nuclear meltdown. Sure, some of the backgrounds are very pretty - the C64's are especially impressive - and with 28 levels you do get good value for money.

But the simple blasting gameplay is repetitive and, although reasonably playable, somehow lacks any thrill factor. Despite the changing backgrounds, there are basically only two types of level: knocking out gun turrets, easily achieved with a laser, and blasting aliens in the horizontally scrolling sections, made easy with bullet-destroying missile bombs.

Even the large end-of-level baddies aren't half as threatening as they look - they can soon be destroyed with one of the superweapons. On the Amiga, Robokid's initial sluggishness is only improved by speed-ups.

It's also irritating when he lands (a totally useless function) and you have to press fire and up to make him fly again.

Presentation 71%
Sensible disk-accessing, can enter score into high-score table even if you continue-play, nice death sequence.

Graphics 80%
A huge variety of backdrops, creatures and end-of-level monsters. All very colourful and imaginative, although somewhat ST-ish.

Sound 79%
A typically Japanese soundtrack combined with nice FX. Tune can be turned off.

Hookability 78%
Takes a little getting used to, with a somewhat sluggish Robokid and not easy early levels.

Lastability 80%
28 levels provide a formidable challenge jam-packed with variety.

Overall 80%
A variety-packed shoot-'em-up!

Presentation 45%
Each level is a fast multi-load on disk, but on tape the game could be unplayable (marks are for disk version). No continue-plays.

Graphics 82%
Some beautifully detailed backdrops with plenty of variety throughout the many levels.

Sound 76%
Standard Martin Walker soundtrack.

Hookability 80%
Atomic Robokid starts off nice and fast with no need for speed-ups.

Lastability 84%
28 levels provide a massive challange for an 8-bit game.

Overall 82%
Enjoyable shoot-'em-up action.