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Following his previous activities, Jack the Nipper, Britain's most notorious under-five, has been ordered out of Britain, and put onboard a 'plane bound for Australia. Jack had other plans, however, and made a daring escape from his deportees, parachuting into to the relative safety of the African jungle...

Free once again to wreak havoc, Jack explores the depths of this tropical landscape, aiming to be as naughty as possible.

The single player takes control of the hyperactive kiddy, and directs him from screen to screen, collecting objects along the way. Progress is hampered by the natural hazards of the jungle such as boulders and swamps which are jumped over, trees that require climbing and chasms and pits which are swung across, using hanging vines.

Jack has two pockets in his nappy, one holds weapons and the other, "naughty" objects. Weapons allow Jack to defend himself from the indigenous wildlife and natives of the jungle.

Weapons include blowpipes, dynamite, and coconuts - all of which are exhaustible. Naughty objects are collected for use in Jack's nefarious activities on later screens. Taking the correct item to the corresponding location is rewarded by naughtiness points, as displayed on the 'naughtyometer'. These objects include honey, grease, woodworms, logs and even an onion. Only one item may be carried at a time, though, so Jack's route through the jungle is somewhat convoluted.

Whenever a naughty object is obtained, a musical jingle signals its collection and also offers a clue to its identity: 'Summer Nights' is played whenever the tin of grease is picked up!

The ultimate destination of the item is not revealed directly but is determined through play and is linked with the eventual recipient.

Cat-like, Jack begins the game with nine lives which may be lost the jungle's inhabitants, or by falling a long distance. His antics continue until all his lives are gone or until Jack has achieved maximum naughtiness to complete the game.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your computer, Gremlin have again unleashed the greatest threat to civilized society, the only child to make the SAS look like a teddy bears' tea party... Yep, Jack is alive and well and causing complete havoc in the jungle.

Graphically the game isn't much cop, small "blobby" sprites trundle around a fairly decent background; sound is little better with a harmless tune on the intro screen and some nice jingles throughout the game.

Despite the moans, though, I found myself instantly drawn into the game; some of the puzzles are really devious and it will take many plays to solve.

Although not entirely my cup of tea, there is something terribly addictive about Jack The Nipper II. Unlike Gremlin's Monty Mole games, Jack The Nipper is a lot more polished and the whole hangs together better.

The control is quite precise and definite; Jack goes more or less where you tell him to, which is good since than you only have yourself to blame when you mess up. The smart graphics provide a decent atmosphere and the puzzles are logical and challenging, rather than obscure and difficult. The game's humour is suitably infantile but enjoyable nonetheless, and this platform adventure should keep most people happy for some weeks.

It's quite obvious that the Future Knight designers are the brains behind the latest Nipper adventure - they look and play very similarly indeed.

However, the authors have taken the best points of their previous effort and added some new tweaks in the gameplay to come up with an entertaining, if rather tricky arcade adventure. The graphical style is neat, with lovely use of colour, and excellent sprite and background detail. The instructions are very vague, but the puzzles have been nicely thought out, and if you still have problems, there's always the clue sheet to send off for...!

If you're into arcade adventures, Nipper II should prove worthwhile.

Presentation 57%
The usual array of options but instructions are a mite lacking.

Graphics 66%
The small sprites are neatly drawn and coloured, and well animated against atmospheric backdrops.

Sound 55%
After the irritating main title theme from 'Hatari', the jungle drum soundtrack provides a suitable ambiance and the jingle clues are humorous and effective.

Hookability 78%
The comfortable control and straightforward objective make it dead easy to pick up and play.

Lastability 73%
Loads of screens to explore and map and the game provides a strong enough lure to do so.

Overall 72%
Fans of Jack The Nipper, mappers and explorers alike should enjoy Jack's latest tropical antics.