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Forget Batman, Bond and the rest of the everyday heroes. In US Gold's Infiltrator, you *are* Johnny "Jimbo Baby" McGibbets!

Latest in the line of McGibbets superstars your achievements are legendary as a neurosurgeon, sportsman, diplomat, pilot, TV star, motorbike racer, film megastar and all round nice guy with a nifty haircut and designer, bulletproof, jeans.

It comes as no surprise to you that the world needs you to save it again. This time it's the Mad Leader up to his old tricks as he's threatening to extinguish all life and being generally unpleasant by blackmailing the world leaders. They hang up and call you instead.

As the world famous "Infiltrator", this shouldn't be too much trouble especially since you've just got your new Whizzbang Enterprises Gizmo ADHX-1 Attack Helicopter known affectionately as the "Snuffmaster".

The game begins with you sitting inside the Gizmo waiting to trigger the Whizzbang Whirler engine complete with Whizzbang capable of a top speed of 900 knots.

At your fingertips are the controls for the Gizmo's automatic direction finder (why should heroes navigate?), communications system, two Whizzbang Whizzer 20mm cannons and four Whizzbang Waster air-to-air missiles.

The screen shows the Gizmo's controls and Johnny's hands that mimic your joystick moves. Press the fire button and the on-screen thumb does the same. At last a game featuring "Thumbovision"!

Your first mission is to fly secretly to the Mad Leader's base, infilitrate it and photograph the war plans.

This involves a hazardous flight over enemy airspace in a Gizmo that doesn't want to fly in a straight line. Punching up the navigation screen will get you the co-ordinates that are then fed into the ADF. Then it should be a simple task of keeping the ADF indicator level. Unfortunately, this isn't easy at all. In fact, it's extremely difficult.

The Gizmo seems to have a life of its own and heads off in the opposite direction at the most awkward moments. For example, when a plane flies into view.

You must act quickly as all planes look the same and since you're supposed to be the good guy, you can't just blast anybody. Instead, you must hit the communicator and send a request for the plane's ID.

You'll then get a request for your ID but with a call sign such as Seth, Rhambow or Scum. These are obviously some of the Mad Leader's deranged followers so you can con them by sending the reply "Overlord". "Infiltrator" is your real ID which of course you send to your friends.

Send the wrong ID or none at all, and you're in a dogfight to the death.

The enemy will fire either heat-seeking or homing missiles which you can deflect if you launch chaff or flares in time. Then it's up to your cannons or missiles to settle the argument.

Should you still have enough fuel and haven't been shot down you can land secretly just outside the enemy's base.

Inside the base the game switches from being a flight simulator to a commando style game as you try and duck past the guards to search the camp for the plans.

Naturally, you come prepared with your all-purpose hero's kit complete with false papers, sleeping gas for troublesome guards, a mine detector, camera, explosives and gas grenades.

Inside the buildings you can search the cabinets, cupboards and safes for the documents as well as useful objects such as security passes and a less conspicuous change of clothes.

Get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and it could be tough luck Jimbo Baby.

This Spectrum version is as good as the C64 original and is actually harder to play especially during the flight game since not only is the Gizmo harder to control but you will need a lot more planes.

The game takes up both sides of the tape with a short delay while the base part of the game is loaded.

Infiltrator is a tough but undeniably addictive game and I'm sure we've not heard the last of the ridiculously overqualified "Jimbo Baby" McGibbets.