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Smell something burning? It's the second part of Dragon's Lair and it's really hot stuff.

Converting a video disc arcade adventure into a home computer game is a daunting task. With Dragon's Lair, Software Projects had their work cut out and the game was patchy - excellent sections interspersed with dross.

You'll be pleased to know that Dragon's Lair II, Escape From Singe's Castle, is a vast improvement. Eight great games linked by the story of Dirk the Daring's return to the lair of the Dragon, now ruled by the Lizard King.

In his first adventure Dirk rescued the beautiful Princess Daphne. Now he is trying to escape with a pot of gold which will allow him to keep her in the manner to which she's accustomed.

We join Dirk as he negotiates the rapids and whirlpools of the river beneath Singe's kingdom. Riding the white waters of the boulder-strewn river is dangerous but chevron flashes appear to guide you along the safest path.

Each of the four river scenes are basically the same, a choice of two passages is followed by a choice of three and a final two on each of the screens. As you approach, the chevrons flash and you have to push the joystick left, right or centre before the chevrons disappear. Although this is a simple reaction game, you have to have your wits about you if you are to see the whirlpools.

You enter the grotto where three eddies swirl back and forth across the screen. Dirk can steer left or right, speed up and slow down. Timing is everything and it is different each time you play.

There are three different whirlpool screens to negotiate then before you're back with another section of white water and a further set of whirlpools. Phew!

Shades of Indiana Jones, what's this? A king size boulder rolling towards our hero down a narrow channel. Once more, it's back to reaction games.

The screen shows Dirk running towards you with the boulder in hot pursuit. Every now and then, holes appear in the channel and if Dirk doesn't jump in time he'll be crushed as he trips over.

If that's not enough, there are balls rolling up and down the sides of the channel and you have to time Dirk's run carefully so that he isn't sent flying.

As Dirk progresses, the walls of the gully change colour making it more difficult to see the oncoming obstacles. Living by your wits is one thing but this isn't funny.

No sign of the Lizard King but he's laid traps for unwary adventurers. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire whizz round Dirk's ears. No wonder this is called Singe's Castle! Keep a cool head as hot hands of flame reach out to caress you and the Circle of Suspicion tries to engulf you.

The dungeon of the Lizard King is the hiding place of the crock of gold. A spell has been cast by the king and your sword is wrenched from your grip and sticks to the golden trove. As you wander across the room, lines of force try to drive you back into a corner.

You must reach the sword and take the gold or perish. If you win the king is defeated and then you're free to make your escape to Doom Dungeon on horseback.

Was this place built by the same architect who designed Boulder Alley? Dirk flies on the back of a magical horse down never-ending corridors, dodging all manner of airborne junk. Blazing boulders and hunks of ice make you run hot and cold as you try to avoid smashing into the corridor walls.

That horse was a nightmare as you raced hot foot into the dungeon but now bolts of lightning flicker from the ceiling and light the floor around you. Which exit can Dirk take? How many creatures must he kill to escape?

At last, a peaceful room with a pleasant tiled floor. Oh no! Where did that tile go? Squares appear and disappear as the heroic figure dodges this way and that. Put a foot wrong and Dirk will fall to his doom in the murky pool far beneath the Dragon's Lair.

To make things worse, there's a large bat in here who must be fended off with the sword before he pushes Dirk to his death.

Almost there. The key to escape lies inside a bottle on the far side of a pool of hot, bubbling mud. Mud monsters rise from the sludge to challenge you as you pick a careful pathway towards the gap which yawns between Dir and the key. Almost there.

Singe's Castle is an evil place peopled by the quick and the dead. If Dirk is not quick enough he will be reincarnated back at the start of his adventure. This gets really irritating but with eight games and no higher levels what can you expect?

The tape is a multi-load file and a fair amount of winding and rewinding is needed before Dirk sees the light of day I did find that my version of the game seemed to give problems on both the C64 and 64C; if I stayed on the first game for too long, instead of entering Boulder Alley at the end of the river, the game looped back to the beginning again and passing through the centre passage on the white water scenes proved impossible.

The graphics are very similar to Dragon's Lair but the music is a vast improvement. Not surprising because it was written by the Maestro himself, Rob Hubbard. Each scene is accompanied by a suitably atmospheric composition which adds a lot to the enjoyment of the game.

Superb graphics, fantastic sound, great gameplay, incredibly addictive. Don't just sit there reading this, go and buy a copy!