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Caverns D'Or is the first game from a new software house and in fact forms part of their Astro Cade collection which features six games for only £4.50.

By far the best game of the collection is this adventure.

Your mission is simple: get into the castle, grab as much treasure as possible and then get out. No guests, no heroic rescues just plain honest plunder.

The action takes place on a split-screen display with descriptions and battle reports appearing in the bottom half in a choice of two character sets. Above this are arrows depicting your possible exits, nine boxes in which you can store one object, a hand which shows which object you are currently holding, a pot containing your gold pieces and a scroll showing your current strength and stamina.

The game is delightfully simple to play as all you have to do is enter any of ten single letter commands. These allow you to move in any direction, select and use an object (using a weapon allows you to fight), search a room and get anything you may find and finally rest, that restores your depleting stamina. Unfortunately, resting for too long will let one of the cavern's critters find you. So you'll soon be doing battle with orcs, rabid dogs, spectres and goblins.

Treasure is, of course, your main aim (apart from staying alive long enough to spend it) and you'll find plenty along with potions to heal you and strange bones that give you temporary strength.

Once you've finished your days orc-bashing you can try some of the other games. These are all arcade games of limited appeal, but if you view them as being freebies then you won't be disappointed. They are all well presented and strangely addictive and include a leap across the moon in Luna-Rover, a fast shoot-'em-up in Alien and a totally redefinable version of City Bomber.

All things considered, it's a good debut from a new (mail order) software house, but they will have to be more selective in future releases to gain high quality as well as excellent value for money.