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There's a burning skyscraper down on Arcadeville's main street, and the fire is spreading to the neighbouring blocks.

The player takes control of a firefighter who is sent to put out the blaze. The hero starts at the base of the first tower equipped only with a fire-resistant suit, jetpack and water cannon, and climbs up the vertically scrolling building.

Women and dogs are trapped in the conflagration, and are rescued when touched, the hero supplying them with a parachute so they may float to safety. He also extinguishes fires with his cannon, revealing either a cash bonus or a bonus icon. These endow him with the ability to fire horizontally, giving added protection, or initiate his jet-pack, blasting him up the building and saving precious time.

As he climbs, the fireman avoids a continuous stream of debris that rains down on him, and negotiates impassable areas such as flagpoles and smooth patches that give no grip. Should he be hit by an object or touch any fire, the character falls several stories and loses a life. The game ends when all his five lives are lost.

Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: great - well drawn and smooth, although some of the characters are occasionally difficult to see
Sound: jolly title screen ditty and jingles, but very limited in-game sound effects
Options: definable keys

'I've got to give it to Data East - they've come up with a very novel 3D game. The gameplay isn't the fastest I've ever played, but it provides a challenge and is fairly addictive. The graphics are very well drawn and the characters detailed and clear. But there is one snag - the fire chief and the falling objects tend to blend into the building, which can make things difficult on higher levels. If you're after an unusual and enjoyable game - look up Firetrap.'

'Firetrap seems simple and boring to begin with, but further investigation proves this wrong. The graphics are adequate, with some cute touches like the little dogs (ah!) that have to be rescued and sent down to the ground on a parachute. The only thing that I didn't like about the game is the lack of variety - to me the only difference between tower blocks was their colour, and that the fire gets more severe on higher levels. Firetrap is a fun change from the usual violence or aliens, but may become a little tedious after e few towers have been extinguished.'

'Electric Dreams have been a bit quiet of late and it's good to see them come back with some new games - Nihilist last issue and now Firetrap. The screen display has been planned just right - there's not too much visible, but just enough to give you a (fire) fighting chance. What impressed me most was the vast about of detailed graphics being moved around the screen very quickly and smoothly. Everything about Firetrap is slick, and to cap it all the gameplay is very addictive.'