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Ever since I can remember, superheroes made up a large part of my childhood fantasies. Heroes like The Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman and, of course, Captain America. Even when they first appeared in comic form, there have been a series of cartoons and motion pictures made about their adventures and confrontations with the forces of evil. Software companies have also realised that there is a substantial profit to be made from these heroic beings, and have recently produced a succession of games to tempt the younger generation into buying their product. So far it has been a success, and their games have shot up to the top of the charts.

Now is is Captain America's turn in the front seat, and prove that he is also capable of standing on his own two feet, in his own computer game... and emerge triumphant. The new game is entitled Captain America In The Doom Tube Of Dr. Megalomann (Phew!). The plot behind the game is as follows: Dr. Megalomann has returned from the grave, and has told that the President of the United States of America has until midnight to stand down, and pass his authority over to the Doctor, otherwise he will launch a missile, which contains a deadly virus, onto the nation.

Captain America's task is to penetrate Dr. Megalomann's underground bunker, which is situated in the Mojave desert, disarm the missile and destroy the deadly virus. The missile is known to the sited on the lowest deck of the Doom Tube, which is sunk deep beneath the surface of the desert.

Each deck contains several rooms or Quadrants, which emit a high level of psionic energy. This psionic energy is the only form of energy which is capable of penetrating Captain America's shield, although recent modifications to the shield have given it a certain amount of tolerance. The further down the tube you go, the higher the level of psionic energy is present, so caution must be maintained throughout the journey downward.

Your shield is one of two prime defensive weapons that you have in your possession, the other is Cybo Grenades. The shield is virtually indestructible and is able to slice through the air when thrown. The Cybo Grenades have been designed to destroy electronic circuits and are only effective at close range.

To travel to each deck, an elevator has to be used. Once on the last deck, you must discover which room the missile and virus are kept, once found they must be destroyed.

Although the graphics and sound are quite attractive, the game itself is a bit of a disappointment.

Playability isn't too bad, the characters respond well to each in every condition that may occur.

Music and sound effects are good as are the graphics, the backdrops especially. The only bad point about Captain America is its lack of lastability.

Captain America will need a lot of considering before you actually buy it. That's the best advice I can give to all you unsuspecting superhero fans out there.