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The Motare Nebulae is not one of the safest places in the galaxy: several craft have disappeared in this vicinity over the last few years. As Group Commander of the United Earth Space Force, it's your duty to investigate the secrets of this interstellar Bermuda Triangle. More like a washed out pair of Bermuda shorts.

As you approach, the facts become all too clear. Two types of enemy ship, known to their friends as Killer Bubbles and Mutant Craft, do their best to send you in the same direction as the other unfortunate pilots (to heaven). As your ship flies across the horizontally scrolling landscape, wave after wave of vicious alien craft attack with their laser cannon. They don't call you the best laser gunner in the fleet for nothing - in fact they don't call you much at all, but you don't give a toss because you can shoot the scales off vile alien bodies and make 'em wish that they had stayed at home, instead of terrorising decent folk.

Kicking alien bottom could be fun, but in this (yet another) Delta look-alike I'm sad to say the action is barely average. The sprites, though simplistic, are adequately drawn and there's no colour clash, which isn't surprising seeing as how most of the sprites are monochromatic. Endless waves of predictable enemy formations make the gameplay very samey and my patience snapped well before the end of the game. I would think twice about purchasing this one, but certainly not three times.

MARK … 37%

THE ESSENTIALS JOYSTICKS: Kempston, Sinclair SOUND: not a sausage OPTIONS: definable keys

'Sound on Eliminator is minimal to say the least - in fact it's nonexistent. I actually thought I could hear a very weak laser noise until I realised that it was the keyboard squeaking! OK, so the scrolling is smooth enough, but the bland aliens aren't animated at all and although each level has different enemies, they all move in the same patterns as the previous ones, making play very predictable. In fact, the game resembles the ancient Scramble though it doesn't even have the added variety of bombs and ground installations. Eliminator looks decent enough at first sight, but its appeal soon fades - one to avoid.'