It would have to happen on a Monday: Garfield's beloved Arlene has been captured and imprisoned in the city pound. The task of rescuing her falls on his bag, fat, hairy shoulders.

The player takes the role of the lasagne-loving feline. Combinations of the joystick and fire makes him jump, walk, pick up and drop items, kick (specifically Odie), move into the screen and use/eat an object and fire on its own toggles his stance between hind legs and all fours.

The screen is divided into two sections: the top three quarters displays Garfield and his immediate surroundings, while the remainder contains a status panel. The most important information is shown by two bars which register Garfield's energy and lethargy levels: as the bars diminish, the hungrier and more tired he becomes respectively. Eating food replenishes Garfield's energy, and resting restores his zest. Should either meter drop to zero, the game ends.

Whenever an object or item of food is picked up, it's displayed as art icon on the status panel. The panel also shows which items are currently in the possession of Odie and Nermal.

To rescue Arlene, Garfield explores the flick-screen locations in and around Jon's house, including nearby shops, the park or sewers, and makes use of objects, such as newspapers, tin cans and the ubiquitous lamp, all of which hold unspecified functions. Several foes obstruct him in his quest, such as angry shopkeepers, large rats or the hyper-energetic Odie, who rapidly acts as a feline soporific.

Progress through the game is constantly monitored by a scoreline held to the right of the status panel.

My second favourite cat (after the one in Tom and Jerry) finally claws his way onto the C64 screen, and quite an impression he makes, too.

The Edge have done a marvellous job in recreating the fat feline in pixel form, and the animation and graphics are splendid. The gameplay is hardly the most inspired I've come across, though, and the charm and humour are only effective for the first few plays; once the novelty wears off, the game's true nature becomes clear. Mapping is advisable for completion of the game, and while the exploration and puzzles provide a decent challenge, the leisurely pace of the game and occasionally obstinate control method reduce its overall appeal.

Don't be seduced by the character and the looks: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal is an arcade adventure, and if you don't like them, you won't like this.

Garfield is basically a standard arcade adventure, but the detail and presentation endow it with all the qualities of a top-class game. Graphically it's very impressive: the detail on Garfield is exactly right, precisely capturing his arrogant but humourous stance.

The animation is superb on all the characters: Odie in particular is brilliant, with his slavering tongue dangling out and an idiot-happy grin on his face.

The background graphics are a little disappointing, though all are well-suited to the cartoon-style scenario. The title tune is appropriately bouncy and jolly and suits the game perfectly, as do the witty scrolling messages.

The instructions could have been a lot more helpful, but this is only a minor criticism. The only real gripe is the price: a couple of pounds lower, and I'd have given it an even warmer reception.

I really love Garfield but must admit to being somewhat dubious about this officially licensed game. The Edge have certainly captured the spirit of the cartoon strip with some lovely backdrops and sprites, but they're let down by the gameplay.

At first, it all seems fun as Garfield kicks Odle, sits in his chair, walks across the table in front of Jon and pulls funny expressions... but once you get down to actually playing the game, you suddenly realise how shallow it is.

Basically, Big, Fat, Hairy Deal is an arcade adventure which requires the player to pick up the correct objects and drop them in their rightful place. The location of objects never varies, and it doesn't take long before you're following a rigid procedure game after game.

The puzzles are very straightforward and I don't think it'll take long to solve them - and after that there's nothing to keep you playing. It's a shame that Garfield's only deficiency is such a crippling one - if more thought had gone into the game design, it could have really special.

Presentation 71% Sparse instructions, but the on-screen display is clear and informative. Long pause between plays.

Graphics 92% Large, beautifully animated characters set against good, cartoon-style backgrounds.

Sound 84% Great title tune and good spot effects.

Hookability 87% The game's character is very alluring and it's easy to get into.

Lastability 59% Many locations are graphically similar, and the simple arcade adventure format is a very familiar one. Once solved, the appeal is bound to rapidly wane.

Overall 79% Successfully captures the spirit of the cartoon strip, but is sadly let down by plodding gameplay.