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Gunrunner has an instantly forgettable plot (save the planet from doom, etc) but very memorable gameplay that will undoubtedly appeal to arcade players.

Even the basic gameplay idea sounds less than promising - it's a left-to-right scrolling game in which you manoeuvre your Gunrunner character over a pipe system, avoiding hovering scanning orbs, bombs, deadly domes and various lethal flying objects. The execution of the game, however, is superb, your character is remarkably mobile and very smoothly animated. When a string of flying gadgets appears behind you, your character can duck down, turn and shoot in one fluid movement. But this is just one of his actions; he's just as good in the running and jumping departments too. All this agility is essential as the hazards appear very quickly and in no set order. If you go back to the beginning having lost one of your lives there's no telling how the defending hardware will have re-grouped for the next game.

Along the way there are objects to pick up extra firepower, poison shields and a jet pac. The poison allows you to clear the screen of nasties several times, the shield allows temporary invulnerability against direct hit and the jet pac will give you a short-lived airborne interlude.

If you manage to fight your way through a level you must look forward for a pedestal which will transport you to the next level. A good (but exasperating) touch occurs as you stand on the pedestal when a last minute wave of nasties can dispose of you before you are transported. In between levels, there's a bonus shoot out, where hovering in your jet pack, you must pick off waves of hi-tech nasties until you are hit.

Gunrunner is a sophisticated shoot-'em-up with advanced animation, challenging gameplay and plenty of shoot-'em-up action. Its ten levels of difficulty should provide enough strenous ducking, dodging and blasting to satisfy even the most demanding arcade player.

A Monster Hit.