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If you've ever fancied yourself as an archer (the Robin Hood variety, not Walter Gabriel), US Gold have got just the game for you. Billed as an OmniDimension 4D game, you must first show your prowess in the proving grounds of the forest before being allowed to continue your quest: to seek out and destroy the demogorgon. The reason for all the multi-dimensional adjectives is that you can move in and out of the screen, firing arrows as you go, and the game also features the passage of time.

Forbidden Forest was one of the first games that I ever played on the C64 and first impressions are that it looks quite similar to the sequel. The same chunky graphics are there and the gameplay in the two versions is superficially similar. A quick game of Beyond The Forbidden Forest soon shows that the games are quite different.

As you move around the forest, you are pursued by a series of monsters which you must try to dispose of with a well-placed arrow or five. Should you succeed in eliminating a creature, you are rewarded with a golden arrow. Collect enough of these and you can head towards the caves under the castle and nearer to your final confrontation. The main problem, as always, is that the monsters fight back and you tend to die a somewhat gruesome death. Not only that, but on your resurrection, 50% of your hard-earned golden arrows disappear.

Controlling the whereabouts of your arrow's final destination is a two-part operation. Firstly, you must select the required elevation by keeping your finger pressed on the fire button. A band on either side of the screen shows your current aim, although be warned: you can do longer see this band when night falls. To actually release an arrow, you move the joystick in the required direction and release the fire button.

To complicate matters even further, you can move in and out of the screen, hiding behind trees and bushes. Mastering all this takes some considerable practice, especially as you are trying to perform the manoeuvres on the run most of the time. The main problem is adjusting the elevation, which takes a lot of practice, by which time you have probably been devoured.

The monsters are a fairly mixed bunch with the one common factor that they are all out to get you. Another evil surprise is that some of the nasties require four or five hits to destroy them, while you have but one lie. The first part of the game cycles around four main creatures and you must collect at least four golden arrows before progressing to part two (your total of arrows gets doubled upon entering the castle).

First off is a giant scorpion with a deadly sting and a nasty habit of leaping on you when you are least aware. This is followed by a worm who is likely to swallow you whole beore spitting out your bow and arrow. The huge dragonfly is the easiest of the four beasts to destroy as it only requires one shot, whilst the megatherium, a strange hybrid creature, is undoubtedly the hardest, moving very quickly before jumping on you.

Should you gain your quota of arrows, you can load part two of the game. Your first task here is to destroy a bar from the many flying around your head. Naturally, this one is a bit special and is orange-coloured. Not only do you lose an arrow for each shot, but you also lose two golden arrows if the bats get you. Next into the firing line is a multi-headed hydra, each head belching out fire. To succeed here, you must knock out all the heads in turn. To add you your 'fun', though, the heads continue to function perfectly even when hit until the last one is destroyed.

All that remains now is the final battle with the demogorgon. A terrible monster rising from a deep hit. To kill it, you need to put an arrow in the one tiny, unprotected part of its armour-plated body whilst simultaneously avoiding the plasma bolts that issue forth from its eyes.

Beyond The Forbidden Forest is an extremely challenging arcade game, requiring considerable amounts of practice. The graphics of the main characters are very chunky and may not appeal to everybody but the 3D effects work well. My main grumble is that I feel it is just a bit too difficult in the first part and this will put people off. I wonder how Robin Hood would have coped.