Surprise, surprise, Ultimate has come up with yet another winner.
Ultimate's first release, Jet Pac for the Spectrum, was top of the charts for months. Now the game has been converted for the BBC ... and it's just as good!
Software houses are beginning to discover ways of making movement on the screen while a tape is loading, and Ultimate is no exception. There are some large snow-like blobs which rain down on the title screen while the rest of the game loads.
After a brilliant few bars of synthesised music, the game starts.
It's just the same as the Spectrum version. The idea is that you are chief test pilot of an interstellar space transport company and you are delivering spaceship kits around the galaxy. As you land on each planet, you must collect enough fuel pods to take off again. Any other treasures which happen to float past are yours for the taking.
The graphics are better on this version than on the Spectrum. The aliens and your character are multi-coloured which makes the gameplay look better.
Movement is faster in this version and it's not as easy to control your man. Maybe that's because I'm used to the Spectrum, though.
Sound effects are good and loud, but you can turn them off when the neighbours start to bang on the wall. Don't turn the sound off until you've heard the opening tune.