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From the software house that brought us Feud comes another budget game, Dr. Destructo. This time it's an air combat game with an unusual two player option. It's reminiscent of some old dogfight games but has some great graphics to bring it right up to date.

Dr. Destructo's Empire has to be destroyed before he can carry out his plan of world domination. You have seven days and nights, and seven lives with which to complete your mission. There are 21 screens to get through and each screen is a ship or building viewed from the side. These have to be destroyed by shooting down enemy aircraft so that they crash into the target below. Each crash causes damage to the target and gradually a hole through to the sea is formed. Most of the targets need three holes in them before they sink but some need more.

As time passes the screen background changes colour from daylight, through dusk and into night and back again in the morning. This is accompanied by the moon or sun travelling slowly across the sky.

The two player game has both players on screen at the same time flying around, shooting the enemy aircraft. You are also both fighting for points since the player who scores the most points on any one screen gains an extra life.

The enemy aircraft come in a variety of forms which range from planes and helicopters to saucers and satellites. They each score different points and some are severe dangers to your aircraft. On the early levels, they aren't dangerous but later on they kill on touch, mutate into other aircraft and even kill you while they are crashing.

The graphics are very colourful and have a chunky cartoon-like quality. Sound is simple and there are no musical tunes. The two player game makes it well worth the price. Whether you play with one or two, you will always get an exhausted fire finger in what is eventually a taxing game.

I loved this one immediately - it's bright and bold with super graphics and gameplay that gives you cramp in the hands. Unadulterated mayhem is great fun and when it's so well presented you just can't go wrong. You'll play this for hours on end and keep coming back to it.

Complete seven levels.

Tricky to tell some planes apart.

Graphics 81%
P. Delightfully colourful, cartoon graphics.
N. When planes overlap each other or the ship you get a graphic mess.

Sonics 58%
N. Only spot effects

Grab Factor 75%
P. Early levels have lots of easy planes to blast.
P. Pleasing variety of enemy craft.

Staying Power 67%
P. Levels and time limit gets very tough.
P. Repetitiveness may cause loss of interest.

Overall 77%
Great two player game.