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Being a Norse God was never easy for Thor, what with all those drenchins in rain clouds and only a hammer for a best mate. Things have taken a downward turn now, though, as his fellow deities have volunteered him to take on the massed forces of the fiendish goddess, Hel, which are rising up through Midgard to the very walls of Asgard itself!

At the start of the game, Thor leaves his country cottage and sets off across five flip-screen, platform worlds. To finish each level he has to collect four sections of a key, which are scattered hither and thither amongst the screens. Out to stop him, of course, are all of Hel's demons, dragons, ghosts, skeletons, witches, ogres and even mutant gravestones and supernatural water droplets.

Unfortunately, the silly god has left his favourite weapon, Mjollner the hammer, at home, but he can see off attacking nasties with his lucky mace and magic fireballing capabilities. Other weapons are available en route, as are magic potions providing bridges over obstacles, extra jumping ability, lightning smart bombs and illumination in dark rooms.

At first glance the platform shoot-'em-up action and terrific graphics make this look like a terrific Ghouls 'N Ghosts clone. If only programmer Steve Bak had left it at that, but instead he's added puzzle elements which make the game very frustrating.

There are hidden deathtraps everywhere, and they act so quickly that you get no time to escape disaster. That would be frustrating enough, but the randomness of the potions can also work against you. For instance, by the fifth screen on level one you should have picked up three potions, but if the game hasn't made one of them a bridge potion, you might as well reset and start again because there's no way to continue beyond that screen!

If you create a bridge you can continue to screen six, but if you die there, the game sends you back to screen five which is now impassable again because the bridge has disappeared!!

There's an awful lot to Fire And Brimstone and the game looks superb, but you'd have to be endowed with superhuman gamesplaying powers and a lot of luck to fully appreciate its merits.