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When Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Puppet on a string', most people thought it was an innocent, lovely little song. In fact, it was devious propaganda on behalf of the wicked imperial puppet kingdom. The image they would like to present is one of those playful lonely goatherds of 'The Sound of Music', when really they are all malevolent marionettes.

Dynamite Headdy knows this only too well. His peaceful grasshopper-like race is being trapped and consumed by monstrous machines and cold-hearted toys. Their only hope of release lies in the destruction of the fearsome keymasters. Surely a suicide mission, were it not for the collection of shoulder-mounted accoutrement! Headdy has brought along for the trip...

Dynamite Headdy is a Treasure production and borrows ideas from an old Megadrive game called Decap Attack.

Defeat all the keymasters in the puppet kingdom to free the kidnapped Headdys.

Some headcases carry a Bonus symbol, worth entry to the bonus game. This takes place on a basketball court, rigged with two layers of baskets on a conveyor belt contraption. Drop a prerequisite number of balls into the right baskets for extra points and a clue.

The character of Beau is mysterious. He (She?) turns up at Keymaster time, riding an arrow, to alert you to the weak areas of the keymasters. Spend some time sharpening your reflexes in the Beau practice area.

The puppet world is peppered with big cheese bosses all out to stop Headdy progressing. All of them, from the Guest puppet to the Puppet Tower keymaster exhibit predictable forms of behaviour you must learn and exploit...

The little headcases wandering about levels offer the chance of a temporary change of cranium. Pop the headcase and stick one of these heads on, and have your abilities enhanced in the following ways:

1. Speed Head
   All Headdy's athletic abilities - running speed, jumping distance and head-throwing powers - are increased.
2. Hammer Head
   The power of the head throw is intensified.
3. Bomb Head
   A time-fused cherry bomb replaces Headdy's normal visage. Thrown to detonate.
4. Homing Head
   Killer stars flow from the mouth of this useful head, and home in on their targets.
5. Radiating Head
   Killer stars flow in compass directions from the mouth of this devastating head.
6. Time Head
   When collected, time stands still and Headdy has a valuable few seconds of enemy vulnerability.
7. Spike Head
   Increased offensive butting, and useful as a wall-climbing implement.
8. Shrunken Head
   Whilst wearing this, Headdy becomes a midget replica of himself, opening up new areas and revealing the little people.
9. Triple Head
   A triple-crowning glory, endowing Headdy with a hat-trick of craniums at once.
10. Corona Head
    Like the halo of a saint, Headdy is surrounded by a ring of unearthly fire, bringing destruction upon his assailants.
11. Hoover
    Nothing sucks like... Headdy with his nozzle attachment. A clever device with which to collect hard to reach bonuses.
12. Sleepy Head
    Fancy a night cap? This head may leave Headdy exposed, but a little nap can do him the world of good.
13. Dead Head
    The only useless Head and to be avoided. Leaves Headdy slow and defenceless and cannot be removed voluntarily.
14. Invisible Head
    Spookily reduces Headdy to a shadow of his former self. Nothing can hurt him - but he can still hurt them.

By accident or design, you will come across Headdy's secret bonus points. These awards are bestowed when you perform a specific act, the first being the destruction of the robot in The Getaway. Secret bonus points are always announced by a sexy voice - or the appearance of a brass band!

From the top of the Puppet Tower, Headdy makes a leap of faith and enters two levels of side-scrolling flying action. Three different kinds of laser-spitting bird brains may be pecked up.

Treasure are, in a way, to video games what INXS are to music. You know they are skilled enough to produce great work, though they don't always do so. Dynamite Headdy confirms their technical excellence, packed as it is with ingenious and innovative special effects.

At first, I thought the whole enterprise was superficial, as the early levels gameplay just didn't match up to the promise of the sound and graphics. But as you progress, some classic sections appear, and Headdy reveals itself as a truly great game. No section is too long, so you don't get bored, although some ideas look so smart, you wish they had been developed more.

The head-swapping premise of the game is well worked out, as is the idea of stuffing each evel with secret bonus points that most players are left itching to find. Some of the keymasters are breathtaking in conception (Spinderella, for example). Although this is a platform game, the pace and level of action is nearer that of a shoot-'em-up.

Somewhere between Treasure's stupendous Gunstar Heroes and the pretty McDonald's Treasureland, Dynamite Headdy hovers around the territory of all-time classic.

What's going on? First we have the superb Earthworm Jim, and now we have Headdy. With two excellent games in such close proximity to each other, it seems as if manufacturers have finally got the message that people will no longer put up with duff platformers.

A lot of time and effort has been put into every aspect of the game to create a finished product that is a joy to play. But the most important, and for me the most impressive feature, has to be the innovation. Every level is a fresh experience, a cultivated piece of gameplay.

The non-linearity of the levels leaves the player constantly discovering new routes and hidden bonuses. The boss characters have individual weaknesses, and thanks to the carefully calibrated learning curve, they never become too infuriating.

Headdy is so beautifully crafted it will remain a classic for a long time to come.

Graphics 94%
P. Treasure makes the use of state of the art Megadrive effects look easy and commonplace. Great character sprites and bosses.

Sound 96%
P. In stereo, Headdy plays games with your ears, in a brilliant use of surround techniques. Some of the best scored music for the Megadrive.

Playability 93%
P. The game is a constant surprise with new gameplay elements on each level.
N. A bit of a slow starter, Headdy gets going on level 3.

Lastability 90%
P. Quite tough, even with one level of play. You'll play for points, you'll play for bonuses and you'll go back for the fun of it. Continues must be earned too.

Value For Money 91%
P. Like no other game in your collection, and these days only the new classics are worth adding to it.

Overall 93%
If you have your head firmly screwed on, you'll get Headdy as soon as it comes out. No ifs, no buts!