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Hidden away in the creepy mansion at the top of the hill are a number of power jewels. Many have been to search for them but no one has lived to tell the tale. Have you the courage to succeed where others have failed? This is the challenge issued by Ghouls.

You control the star of the show, a little man with the appearance of a pac-man on two legs. His ever munching mouth continuously snaps up titbits for bonus points as you attempt to reach the various levels in your search for treasure.

You start off in the first of four screens - Spectre's Lair. Here to hinder you in your quest you will find the mansion's frowning ghost who's out to get you. Let him catch you and you'll die and that frown will change to an enormous cheeky grin. This chap follows you through every screen, and at times his appearance is positively painful.

You have a time limit in which to get to the box of jewels at the top of the screen in order to access the next landing. Titbits and the occasional stray jewel munched en route count for bonus points. The jewel has the additional perk in that it makes the ghost disappear for a short while. However, there are other hazards to make life unpleasant.

In order to make progress you must balance on a moving platform and leap to and from it to higher levels. There is also a set of poison-soaked spikes in your way and contact with any one will prove fatal. Should you succeed on the first screen you will progress to the more difficult Horrid Hall. As well as all the other nasties you also have to avoid contracting floorboards.

Succeed on screen two and the Spider's Parlour awaits you. The spider is something to behold but not touch. The fortunate thing is that he stays in one spot bouncing up and down waiting patiently for a tasty morsel - usually me!

The infuriating aspect of the game, as with most multi-level ones, is that as soon as you "die" you start back at the beginning of the screen no matter how far you have progressed. I must confess it is because of this beast that I haven't seen screen four, the Death Tower.

Even so I've seen enough to consider it excellent value. It is extremely addictive as there is always that incentive to "crack it this time". The graphics are well presented and the eerie sounds make the game come to life. We've come to expect high standard games from Micro Power and Ghouls is one of their best!

Alan Sergeant