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One more Pacman clone for the collection is the simple summary of Bumble Bee. This version though does have something of a difference (dare I say a 'sting in the tail'?).

The screen is colourful and looks impressive. Scattered throughout the maze are various commestibles such as mushrooms and pies. After a quick test, much to my dismay, I discovered that consumption of any of these leads to instant death for the little bee, who is controlled by you. He must move through the complex, collecting up crosses (I'm not sure what these are supposed to represent) whilst avoiding the aforementioned obstacles. After a while, a rather non-descript enemy appears who attempts to catch our insect friend. As time goes by, more of these 'things' appear, making the bee's task more difficult. Bonuses can be scored by eating apples or scoring packets. When all the crosses have been gathered, an exit opens up and a new screen begins - from screen to screen, the only difference seemed to be an increase in the speed of the proceedings.

Sound and graphics are adequate although not likely to set the world alight. One notable feature is the smoothness of movement, characters guide along most gracefully rather than bumping from point to point like an elephant as in many similar programs.

So, overall, this program, whilst being well presented and fairly interesting, lacks the features and addictive qualities of the really top quality arcade game. I would advise anyone to see it before buying it.

Dave Reeder