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A new software house for the BBC is always worth welcoming, especially when it is masterminded by ex-Bug Byte Steve Benfield. The first two releases are now ready, after several months of premature advertising.

But don't put the flags out yet. The games offer good solid entertainment but the pricing levels seem idiosyncratic to say the least and, as far as I can tell, Icarus will get some sort of release via Database Publications - you know, The Micro User folk. [Who? - Ed]

This, the first release, is a more than competent game by Julian Avis, best known for Dunjunz. Unfortunately, this has quite a lot of the same feel of that earlier release - the two player option (although earlier it was four), the objects to be run over to gain energy or open doors, the exit doors that can only be entered when a level is clear of objects, etc, etc.

Oh yes, that etc, etc also includes the split-screen, overhead play which is attractive but distracting. Unfortunately, my copy of the game wouldn't load past the first level but if it is all of that standard then we have a pretty playable game here that won't, I don't believe, hold your attention for long.

As we've seen far too often, your mission is to clear a drifting spaceship of malfunctioning droids and destroy the central computer before time runs out. Originality would be nice; so too would be a look at the other eighteen levels.

This should amuse you - just don't expect to have your mind blown as the Mandarin hype suggests.

Dave Reeder