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When judging a game, one yardstick which I rarely have to use is the length of time it takes to complete. Unfortunately this measure comes into play in my review of Ghost Chaser. I succeeded in completing all 16 screens, caging the phantom by doing so, which only took about two hours. The disappointing fact is that there isn't a higher level, so once you have completed it there is no challenge left.

The game tells the tale of a little bear, who looks very much like Sooty, and his aim is to rid a ramshackle house of its spooky occupants. Our intrepid ursean ghostbuster does this by moving from room to room, collecting all the keys to unlock every room in the house. Occasionally the phantom materialises but he can be dispelled by blasting him with cannonballs whenever possible. This has the effect of making the ghoul disappear for a while, presumably to lick his wounds. Teddy bear's ammunition is in plentiful supply lying around the house and they can be picked up by merely walking past them.

The rooms also contain smaller spooks, bats, ghostly flames or dripping pipes. Contact with any of these gives Teddy the shivers and three contacts in any one room means death to the bear (luckily he has five lives). Death can also result from a misjudged jump or by falling down a trapdoor.

The game is quite enjoyable to play and because of this it just misses a Comatose rating but buyers should beware of the limitations which I outlined at the beginning of this review.

E.D.