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It's not easy being the Top Gun of the space fleet - whenever there's an alien invasion you get called up for action.

This particular mission requires the player to fly deep into the heart of the attacker's giant mothership. The action starts with the player's spacecraft being dropped from a transporter ship at the beginning of the first of four horizontally scrolling levels.

Each section is filled with bloodthirsty aliens, missiles and gun turrets, and both the floor and ceiling conceal hidden hazards. Occasionally, glowing smart bombs are discovered and can be flown over to destroy all visible enemy craft. Alternatively, blasting turns them into extra firepower which is automatically added to the ship on contact.

As the player progresses further into the alien vessel, increasingly hostile alien life-forms appear in the form of giant caterpillars and bomb-spitting jacks. If the ship hits an enemy object, it is destroyed and one of the three backup ships comes into the action.

At the end of each level dwells a very aggressive giant guardian who is disposed of to progress to the next level. When all four levels are conquered, the mission starts again, but with faster and more aggressive aliens.

Bob 'n Doug's new shoot-'em-up is certainly a very eye-catching affair! The visuals are superb, with some terrific landscapes and loads of gorgeous sprites whizzing around. The use of colour is tremendous throughout - especially in the end-of-level guardians, which set new standards for large animated graphics.

Unfortunately, the single load means that there are there are only four shortish levels, so it's a little low on variety. IO's quite a difficult game, so beware: it'll have you tearing your hair out in moments.

Death sends you back a couple of screens and, just to add insult to injury, all your previously added weapons disappear. I can't but help thing that those with less patience could tire of IO pretty quickly, but hardened blasting freaks should enjoy the action, albeit limited.

The first thing that strikes you are the absolutely amazing graphics - they're stunning, with some fabulous backdrops and beautifully drawn alien sprites. The giant caterpillars are incredible, and the end of level guardians could be straight from an arcade machine!

Sadly though, the gameplay isn't overly exciting. The action is definitely challenging, but it didn't take long before my attention started to wander.

Apart from the impressive graphics, there's nothing on offer that hasn't already been seen in Nemesis, Delta and Zynaps. It's doubtless that IO will appeal to many, but if you've already got a couple of horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-ups in your collection, I'd think twice before buying it.

Although we're at a time when shoot-'em-ups are two-a-penny, Firebird have released IO. The gameplay is nothing special and you could probably find several very similar games on the shelves of your favourite computer shop - but I enjoy it nonetheless.

Graphically it's very pretty, with some amazing alien ships charging around the screen and giant guardians at the end of each level - the enormous laser-spitting skull is my favourite. Timing is of great importance, as many of the obstacles need to be disposed if in a particular pattern.

This is my only real gripe, as many frustrated hours were spent trying to find the suitable path around obstacles.

IO is very hard, but I think it's deserving of perseverance.

Presentation 79%
Options amount to a one or two player mode, but the game is thoughtfully laid out.

Graphics 98%
The use of colour is stunning, and the backdrops and sprites are incredible.

Sound 79%
Competent throughout.

Hookability 87%
The straightforward blasting is addictive from the outset.

Lastability 69%
Four tough levels to crack, but the gameplay is ultimately repetitive.

Overall 80%
A graphically superb shoot-'em-up which, although unoriginal, is both challenging and playable.