You don't need the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes to guess that Cuthbert Goes Digging is one of those games where you have to climb ladders, and bash monsters on the head. These familiar activities are, unfortunately, not very exciting in Microdeal's version.

The graphics are rudimentary, and the monsters are merely a collection of blue blocks. Cuthbert himself lacks character, his stetson hat being the only individual touch. It is quite moving, though, to see him slow down and keel over as his oxygen supply runs out!

The game has eight levels, and at the higher ones the monsters, called Moronians, give Cuthbert a tough old time. At these stages you also encounter the Chief Moronians, who must be bonked through two levels before you can dispose of them.

Drawbacks to this program are that you must use two different keys for digging and filling holes, and that Cuthbert just will not stand still. You need to fiddle with the keys to make him.

In comparison to other Dragon software, this program does not suffer too badly, but when you look at Space Panic for other micros, you see that Cuthbert Goes Digging is a dull and unimaginative version.

PC