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Derek Brewster's Codename Mat was one of last year's surprise hits - and the sequel is set to become a smash too!

Mat has resumed his battle with the Myons in his new ship Centurion II - and is defending crucial Karillium mines.

Karillium is the most precious substance in the universe. It is the bringer of life. One small pinch can turn a barren desert into a steaming jungle!

The mines are found in the planet Vesta - and are supplied with energy by a vast grid of satellites surrounding the planet. If the satellites are damaged or destroyed then the Karillium mines will be destroyed.

Mat has to protect the satellite grid by destroying the Myon ships out to destroy the only source of Karillium available to Earth. He also has to police the vast network of satellites and move them around to keep the energy grid operative if any become damaged in the numerous Myon attacks.

So you've got a mixture of arcade action and battle strategy here - with a hint of that old Atari classic Star Raiders thrown in.

You have to use the instrumentation on your ship - which includes scanners, a battle computer, shields and two kinds of weapon - to zap the aliens!

You must wrap from sector to sector to defend the grid - Star Raider style - using the Quadrant Grid Chart that you can call up on your Centurion II dashboard.

Controls are a mixture of keyboard and joystick - and quite complex. It'll take you a bit of time to master them effectively. But the documentation which comes with the game is extremely thorough and all your questions will be answered after studying the operating instructions for Centurion II.

The screen display shows your view from Centurion II's cockpit. You have a whole bunch of instruments to watch while battling it out with the Myons - and some useful damage reports flash up to tell you just what bits are being blasted off your craft!

But never fear - help is at hand in the shape of two droids which you can send off to repair the various damaged parts of your ship - when and if you get a quiet moment! A really nice touch, this. But beware - the droids can be damaged in battle too.

Codename Mat II is an exciting mixture of action and strategy - and will help you stuck in front of your Spectrum or Amstrad or C64 for many hours of happy zapping. Don't miss this one!