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Right, let's get one thing clear right from the start. Although I've played the computer version to death on several formats, I haven't played the board game at all! I've no idea whether or not the program's (many) flaws are carry-overs from its table-top incarnation, and to be honest I don't really care - if the computer game is going to cut the mustard it has to stand on its own two feet, and if the programmers reproduced faults from the board game, that's their problem.

Now we've got that sorted, let's take a look at the game, Hero Quest is a fairly standard computerised role-player, but where its stablemates are often bogged down with complex puzzles and character stats, Hero Quest aims for simplicity and accessibility, creating an RPG for the masses.

You choose up to four characters (from a possible *four* - there's no need to tailor your party to the quest in hand here, folks), an Elf, Wizard, Barbarian and Dwarf. The Barbarian and Dwarf are the best fighters; the Elf's not bad in a scrap and casts spells too, while the Wizard's the best at using magic but a lousy fighter who can't use certain weapons. There are four sets of three spells to choose from, the elf getting one set and the Wizard hogging the rest. These include combat and defence spells, Walk Through Rock, Sleep, Veil Of Mist, etc.

On starting a quest (there are fourteen in all, which can be attempted in any order), each character gets two dice worth of movement points. You move your man by clicking the pointer on the dungeon floor, or using the arrows at the bottom-right of the screen. You can also fight (adjacent squares only for hand-held weapons, along any unobstructed line of fire with missiles) or search for concealed doors, treasure or traps. Accumulated treasure can be spent in the between quests weapons shop.

As stated earlier, Hero Quest is a game for everyone, not just hardened RPG'ers - gone are the endless reams of statistics and complex combat rules, and in their place is a simple-but-effective movement and combat system that's so easy your granny could understand it. Whether this is a boon or a blunder is largely a matter of opinion, but there's no getting away from the fact that Hero Quest is seriously flawed.

In the interests of simplicity, the programmers haven't included any means of passing objects from character to character (or even dropping them altogether!), so when a character upgrades his equipment he has to keep the old stuff too. Having a couple of warriors hobbling round with the entire contents of Albert Steptoe's tat wagon I can handle. Silly as it is, it doesn't interfere with the game, but when your Barbarian finds an object that only the Wizard can use - or your elf lies dying while your dwarf has all his hits and two healing potions - it gets seriously annoying.

Although the other characters can splash out on bigger, better weapons (no levels of experience here, folks), the wizard (who can't use 'em) has no means of improving himself, and just collects coins like autumn leaves, knowing he can never spend them or pass them on. The monsters could be a little brighter, too - they're far too samey for their own good, and they don't actually move until you're in the same room. By firing your missile weapons through open doorways, you can wipe out loads of them without taking a hit!

All of the above, coupled with lousy graphics and an extremely clumsy menu system, make Hero Quest something of a missed opportunity. It's a fun game and a great introduction to RPGs, but with a bit more spit and polish it could've been a whole lot better.

Seriously flawed but still eminently playable, Hero Quest's a bit of an enigma. With a little more thought and a lot more time, the programmers could have created the ultimate board game conversion; a shame, but by no means a disaster.

Pit-falls include the graphics (bleurgh!), cursor (awkward) and the fact you can't give items to other players (not even by dropping it and having someone else pick it up!). But the pros outweigh the cons and, despite its shortcomings, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

If you're feeling masochistic you can always check out Gremlin's other board game jobbie, Space Crusade, to see how it should have been done. 79%

Presentation 55%
Good 'save game' and auto-mapping, clumsy interface.

Graphics 30%
I didn't think it looked this bad on the Commodore.

Sound 60%
Minimalistic but function - it does its job.

Hookability 80%
Luckily it plays a lot better than it looks.

Lastability 75%
Can't put it down 'til you finish it, it's a little easy.

Overall 74%