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The helicopter leaves its normal environment in Chopper Rescue, to go on a mission of mercy underground.

Five scientists are buried below a pile of radioactive waste and you have to guide your helicopter towards them, blasting and bombing to create a network of tunnels.

Through these you fly to bring the scientists out and back to safety on the helipad.

So far this might sound easy - once you've learnt how to use the keys to control your helicopter - but the whole operation is made excruiatingly difficult by an enemy bomber dropping more waste to fill in the tunnels and devastating bombs which scythe through the whole lot; and all the time your fuel supply is rapidly running out!

The graphics on this program are effective while not exceptional - the routine for the disintegration of the helicopter takes up too much time - but it's not really a game that is dependant on pretty colours.

The major playing drawback is that it required five-fingered control on the keyboard version, but this can be overcome with practice and does not apply to the joystick version.

It is an addictive example of a good old fast-playing test of skill - you can wreck your three helicopters very quickly indeed - and the next game begins immediately the last one finishes, compelling the player again and again to have "one last go" for a higher score.

Best features of the game are the slow discovery of the various tactics and the extraordinary frustration of knowing how everything works but not managing to make them work together.

Chopper Rescue is available for the 48K Spectrum from Blaby Computer Games of Leicester at £5.95. A very good machine code arcade game to add to your collection!