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Miner 2049er has spawned a whole family of lookalike games, of which Manic Miner is the best known and most competent copy of the original.

The software industry has always been quick to pinch a good idea and then flog it to death for the next six months. Galaxians and Donkey Kong are classic examples of software houses' readiness to rip off and rehash old games claiming that this is what the public want.

Ghouls from Program Power is a blatant copy of Manic Miner. Needless to say, the program isn't up to the standard of Bug Byte's original game. That is not to say the game is unacceptable - hundreds of tapes like it pass through the C&VG office every year - but I think it is time software companies stopped feeding off the ideas of the few creative people in the industry.

It is unbelievable that software producers can cry wolf over software piracy when they are merrily churning out the 86th copy of Donkey Kong - and they wonder why business is bad!

Program Power are by no means the worst offender. They would no doubt protest that BBC owners are crying out for a climbing game based on Manic Miner. I would argue that the public has very rarely been given the chance to choose.

Ultimate are one company that have given computer owners an alternative, and they have responded by making each one of Ultimate's games a bestseller, as well as nominating them for every category in the C&VG Golden Joystick Awards.

I haven't said much about the game Ghouls in this review. This is because very little needs to be said except that it's a second rate rip off.