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Capcom's Black Tiger appeared in the arcades almost eighteen months ago and, while it was never recognised as a "big" coin-op, it still managed to attract a small cult following.

US Gold secured the rights to convert the machine in their big £1.2 million ten-game Capcom deal that was signed nearly two years ago, but only now has the game seen the light of day.

If you haven't seen it in the arcades, Black Tiger is a Ghosts 'N Goblins-type platform game in which the player takes the role of the eponymous hero.

The scene is set with an introduction screen which explains that a long time ago three giant dragons came from afar to plunge the world into an age of devastation and misery. Only one man is capable of destroying these evil creatures - and he is, you've guessed it, Black Tiger. So off he trogs to rescue the whole of civilization and be back in time to watch Neighbours...

What this basically involves is travelling across the multi-directionally scrolling landscape, taking swipes at the hordes of evil dragon minions which infest the play area with your trusty mace and beating seven shades out of the monsters that loom over the exits of each level.

Each level has to be completed within a time limit - failure to do so results in the loss of a life. Lives are similarly lost if Black Tiger repeatedly runs into a baddie and depletes his life-energy bar, or falls off a platform onto spikes (there's plenty of opportunity to do this, so look before you leap!).

When enemy marauders, pots and treasure chests are mashed with your mace, they drop Zenny coins which are picked up when run over and automatically added to Black's cash total. These can be used in shops which are found littered around the landscape to buy extra goodies, which include three-way throwing knives, different levels of mace, up to the mean 'n nifty firey mace which decimates everything it touches, various grades of armour and extra energy.

Wizards are also found at set locations around the map. These poor devils have been turned to stone by the dragons, but Black Tiger can break the spell simply by touching them - good, eh? And for his pains, a rescued Wizard offers help in the form of information, extra time, money or even weapons! So it's well worth scouting for them.

I've played Black Tiger quite a few times in the arcades, and enjoyed the experience. The ST version is great, and has very faithful arcade "feel". The gameplay is tough and challenging, but addictive with it. A little cartography (that's map-making to you, matey) certainly doesn't go amiss, as some of the routes are pretty convoluted, and the Wizards are ticked away in the furthest corners of each level.

The graphics are almost identical to the coin-op, with dark, atmospheric smooth scrolling backdrops and nicely detailed sprites. My favourites are the explosions and fires, which are particularly well animated.

Black Tiger is released on all formats in September - so you've got plenty of time to save your pennies for this brilliant arcade conversion.

An excellent conversion of the cult arcade machine which has a brilliant mix of platform and shooting action. One for the collection.