Activision consistently manage to bring out good games - and their latest for the Intellivision called Beam Rider is no exception.

Activision have managed to breathe new life into the space shoot-out theme with this fast and addictive addition to their range of games for the Mattel system.

The game begins with your spaceship within the hangar deck of a vast spacecraft. Press the game action button and the hangar doors open to reveal a scrolling grid. Your ship launches into space and soon enemy saucers appear on the horizon racing toward you and then dodging away after dropping deadly photon bombs.

Take a look at the top of the screen where the battle computer readout gives you the number of alien craft in that sector. Blast them with your laser lariat bolts and the watch for the Sector Sentinel which cruises across the top of the grid - only one of your three torpedoes can destroy it so take careful aim along the grid and blast it for a bonus score.

The Sentinel is protected by green blocker craft so you'll have to dodge around these to get in the killer shot. Then you're off into the next sector with more sinister aliens to defeat!

A new danger is added in each new sector you reach - up to sector 14. Some you can blast with your laser, some can only be destroyed using your torpedoes - you only get three per sector - and some can only be dodged.

Occasionally, yellow rejuvenators will float through the grid matrix - if you manage to catch one with your craft, you'll win a bonus ship to help you progress through the sectors. You get the regulation three lives to start with - but you're going to need all the extra lives you can get in later stages where game action starts to speed up.

Beam Rider is a nicely presented game with good graphics - but I've got one gripe. I would have liked to be able to move the spacecraft up the grid as well instead of just moving it left and right.

A nice touch is that you can play the game with up to four people - another original Activision innovation.

There is also a "drop out" facility, so if one player has to go away for tea or something, the Intellivision automatically omits the player and adjusts the game accordingly - neat, eh? You can also freeze the action at any time during the game.

Beam Rider from Activision will set you back £29.95 and it available from Intellivision dealers now.