A case of levitation

Hoverbod and Missile Control are two new releases for the Archimedes and the usual Shift-Break loads them into your machine. Both reconfigure the system settings as they load but restore them when you exit - so don't just switch off.

Hoverbod is an arcade adventure, and fairly typical of the genre. You have to guide your somewhat bemused droid around eight planets collecting red diamonds. The Ibbles and Squibbles will make life difficult but there's an interesting array of weapons you can fetch to use against them.

Hoverbod himself looks quite cute, and the Squibbles hardly look threatening at all - until they nab you. Hang about too long and you'll be zonked by what looks like a cross between a stork and a dodo.

There are the obligatory lethal spikes that you have to avoid, but if you can find it there's the spiker inverter to make them safe. As well as a pause facility - which I strongly advise you to use when moving into a new screen - there is a password system to let you get straight back to the level you just died in.

The graphics are quite detailed and free from flicker but, surprisingly for an Archimedes game, they're jerky in places. Although you'll hardly ever hear the sound of Hoverbod bouncing, unless you connect up your hi-fi, there's enough volume to let you know when something's happened and - oh joy - no idiot tune.

The game has some neat twists and is enjoyable rather that addictive. I'd be impressed if it was written for the BBC B, but it feels like a quick conversion from an 8-bit micro.

Terry Blunt