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This shoot-'em-up game actually has a plot, rather than the usual simplistic "the aliens are coming, you destroy them before they destroy you". Although it is a moot point as to whether shoot'-em-up applies in space - perhaps shoot-'em-along some arbitrary axis might be more appropriate for three dimensions.

Your task is to locate asteroids, using the radar at the top of the screen and spray them with bullets, so that they release crystals (a sort of mining operation). Collecting crystals gives you starbombs to use against the evil Deathstar later.

However, there is competition for the crystals from the Deathstar's worker craft. They hover about the asteroids collecting any crystals that you miss and transporting these back to base, to build the Deathstar piece by piece (20 transported crystals complete the Deathstar). The mining operation is made more difficult by the presence of Warrior craft, so one has to ignore the asteroids for a while to despatch the warriors before they close in for the kill.

When the Deathstar has been completed, the screen flashes and the deadly star moves rapidly towards you. (Keep your eye on the radar.) The best plot here, appears to be to run for it, releasing star bombs as you go and these home-in on the star, blowing chunks of it away. I ran out of bombs before the star was reduced to rubble and it caught me. My disintegration was not particularly satisfying, it was symmetrical, with a few thin trails. I've always held that you should go out in a blaze of glory, but this fell short. This was merely a phut, lost in the vastness of the cosmos.

The plot is original and use of graphics and sound is good and five levels of progression are provided for the video whizz kids. Overall, it's probably not a chart-buster, but it's a competent piece with more originality than some I've seen lately.

M.B.