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Hard Hat Mack has been converted for the CPC464 from a good selling program which made a great name for itself - Stateside. However, Stateside probably obeyed the controls properly, as it is, this version is actually impossible to play, because the controls just do not do what they should!

Hard Hat Mack is yet another game involving lifts and girders, although at least the scenario is fairly realistic. The action takes place on a construction site and the simple stated aim is to complete the building on each of the three separate stages, and at a multitude of different difficulty levels. All I have actually been able to do so far is to watch the demo screens, and very bright and colourful they are too.

There are, naturally, very tricky hazards at large. These include a group of vandals, and a character called Osha, who rushes around with a clipboard, while the Mack leaps around rather idiotically, with the controls failing to function. For a start, nothing works unless SHIFT is pressed, which makes Mack jump in whichever way he is facing. Up and down move-ment does not work either, the only key which does work being the DELETE to pause play. Sadly, the ESC key which should restart merely wipes out the current game.

No, if Ariolasoft cannot check such elementary things as controls, they are going to have problems. Some of us have broken joysticks, and have to fumble with the keyboard and even so, the little I have seen wouldn't make me go back for any more!

P.T.