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Confuzion is certainly aptly named - combining strategy, reflex, dexterity, speed and foresight, it will leave most people in a quivering mess.

Frustration and huge addiction are the order of the day in this fast arcade style game. Based around the arcade game Guttang Guttong, Confuzion gives you the task of destroying a factory full of bombs. Although it is hard to describe adequately in words, the principle is quite simple. You are put in control of moving plates on the factory floor, the idea is very similar to the old plastic 'slide puzzles' where you are given a load of mixed-up squares with one free square on a grid and you have to slide them about to make a designated pattern.

With Confuzion these squares have tracks on them and you have to use these to make a path to guide your moving spark (fuze - hence Confuzion) to the bombs which reside on the sides of the screen. Making a correct route on the screen is far from easy, the myriad of squares and their patterns really make the going tough.

On the first level the playing area is quite small and the time limit to defuse the single bomb is lengthy. On higher levels the time limit is much shorter and the number of bombs to defuse increase. Also, drops of water start to move randomly around the playing area. These are fatal to the touch, putting out your spark and they make the game even more difficult.

There are 64 levels and you're allowed to enter on the first, ninth, seventeenth, twenty-fifth, thirty-third, or forty-first levels. You start with five sparks but gain an extra one for every fourth level completed. The graphics are very colourful and the plates move about swiftly and smoothly. The spark is well defined and moves around at a horrible speed, fast enough to send itself down the wrong track if you make the slightest mistake, but slow enough to make the time limit seem all too short! If you do have a clear route to a bomb you can speed the spark up by pressing fire or the space bar.

The sound is good during the game and the title screen contains a really classy three channel tune which goes on for a good four minutes, brilliant stuff too!

There are a number of games that succeed because of their simplicity, and Confuzion is definitely one of them. The graphics are really quite simple to look at but very fast and effective. Nothing could be more straightforward - except beating it. In terms of lasting appeal, just try some of the first few levels, see how tough and frustrating they are! Then count up the remaining ones to complete. This is one of those games where you have to find the rhythm and then once you have, hang on to it - it's not easy. For the price, well worth getting, although for people who aren't so keen on puzzle type games, it may be a bit daunting.

A word of warning: those of you who buy this program are likely to suffer from a nervous breakdown. A very, very frustrating and addictive game is this one. The trouble is that you can see what you're supposed to do and how you can do it, the problem is just trying to get your brain and fingers do the work fast enough! The music on the title screen is excellent and the graphics are really colourful. I liked it a lot and although frustration is high, the 64th level promises a colourful and rewarding finish.

This is one of the few arcade-puzzles around on the C64 and to mind it's the best. The superb soundtrack makes a worthy companion to a superb game. A cool, calm approach is needed to play well, along with plenty of aforethought and logistical thinking. The graphics are clear, colourful and well defined, and suit the game well. The sixty-six levels will take a lot of beating and there's a masses of challenge and fun to be had along the way. Confuzion is the best arcade-puzzle currently available and I recommend it heartily to all arcade-puzzlers or those willing to give it a go - and at such a low price!

Presentation 83%
Good instructions and the level entry options are useful.

Graphics 82%
Fast, smooth and colourful, but generally simple.

Sound 92%
Excellent tune.

Hookability 88%
Anyone who likes puzzles or fast-thinking arcade games will love it.

Lastability 89%
With all those levels and the terminal frustration built in, it's bound to last.

Value For Money 91%
A long game at a very good price.

Overall 89%
The best arcade-puzzle available.