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Howard the Robot's job is to lay 60 paving slabs in four gardens, each on a different level and each with its own patterned or coloured stones.

Stones are laid automatically as Howard passes over an area of nine dots; the right hand icon on the information display shows which slab is to be laid next. Each garden is a four-way push scrolling area, comprising lakes, grass, walls and beehives. Keys are available which open gates to otherwise restricted areas.

Other creatures and obstacles hinder the mission: spiders (squashed with rollers) are harmless, but bee swarms, kites and wandering umbrellas all lose one of five lives. Energy decreases with time but is increased by standing on a flashing power square.

This is one of the most tedious, laborious and sluggardly games I've ever played; with faster and less restricted movement, more cute and colourful graphics and a greater emphasis on blasting action it could have been decent.

Unfortunately, the graphics are basic, bland and badly animated, the sound is unappealing and the action consists of wandering (slowly) backwards and forwards around the landscape picking up keys and objects and solving annoyingly simple puzzles. So much could have been made of the concept but so little has: if there's one game to avoid this month, this is it.

If more attention had been paid to just about every aspect of this game, it could have been something respectable. Instead, unartistic graphics, awful sound effects, and unavoidable deaths all conspire to make this one of the most unlovable games ever.

It's a shame, because the actual game design isn't that bad, and it's quite easy to make fast progress by picking up keys and rollers and travelling between levels. When this is all there is that you can easily do, though, tolerance for all the annoyances just fades away and you are left with the epitome of computer ugliness and two fewer coins in your pocket.

Presentation 42%
The limited four-way movement is the only deficiency in an otherwise average front end.

Graphics 16%
Very basic and not particularly colourful or cute.

Sound 8%
Instantly forgettable combination of an annoying death tune and basic blips.

Hookability 20%
Initial exploration is moderately interesting, apart from the slowness of movement.

Lastability 4%
It's unlikely that the game's combination of sloth and tedium will appeal for long.

Overall 10%
A laborious, slow and very dull arcade adventure.