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The year is 2060 and the United States of America is virtually unrecognisable from as it is today. A nuclear war has seen to that. Where New York once stood, a huge Mega-City now reigns supreme, with similar cities dominating the UK, Japanese and Russian skylines. Of all these Mega-Cities, the US Mega-City One is the largest, containing 600,000,000 citizens within self-contained 'Blocks' housing up to 60,000 people in each.

With such huge numbers crammed into these buildings, and unemployment running at 75% thanks to almost complete automation, time weighs heavy in Mega-City One, and the result is a never-ending spate of crimes and misdemeanours. Everything is punishable in Mega-City One: mugging, stealing, littering - even incitement to mug by wearing flash gear - and overseeing that justice is done are the all-powerful Judges. Overseen by the 'Five Who Rule', the Judges are empowered to administer sentences and judgement of anyone caught committing crimes. And of all the legendary Judges that Mega-City One has thrown up, one is recorded as being the ultimate lawman: genetically-engineered to be the perfect Judge. He answers to the name of Joe Dredd. This is his story...

A platformer based on events of both the Judge Dredd film and comics.

Complete two mission objectives and pick off the odd boss.

Mega-City One is a two-tiered place with the impressive tower blocks overshadowing the grimy underneath populated by a wealth of mutants and criminals. Needless to say, as Dredd these are the areas the player sees the most of, with Dredd pounding the streets in search of his mission objectives and perps. In true Judith Chalmers' style, here is a guide to the thirteen places to see...

1. Name: Heavenly Heaven
   Info: A warm-up beat through one of the city's roughest weapon crates.
   Main Objective: Destroy weapon crates.
2. Name: The Cursed Earth
   Info: Mutie country - where the wild run free...
   Main Objective: Find the 'Book Of Law'.
3. Name: Aspen Penal Colony
   Info: The prison order has been overthrown by a group of unruly inmates.
   Main Objective: Close all security doors.
4. Name: Sewer System
   Info: Having been made a scapegoat for Fargo's death, Dredd seeks sanctuary.
   Main Objective: Find ammo for your return.
5. Name: Hall Of Justice
   Info: Having found the book, it's time to clear your name.
   Main Objective: Reach Council Chamber.
6. Name: City Towers
   Info: Riots have been reported from this towering building. Find out why.
   Main Objective: Wipe out Sky Surfers.
7. Name: Statue Of Liberty
   Info: Equipped with the latest Protection Suit, it's time to find Rico.
   Main Objective: Destroy Rico's ABC Robots.
8. Name: Justice One Satellite
   Info: This moon base has been invaded by the Dark Judges who are searching for a warp path to Earth. Find it first.
   Main Objective: Activate security and locate warp unit to prevent Death coming to Earth.
9. Name: Janus Lab
   Info: Rico is in the process of cloning himself - and acts as the level's boss.
   Main Objective: Deactivate Rico's computer terminals.
10. Name: Dead World
    Info: The warp device you found was a fake. Follow Death, Mortis, Fear and Fire to Dead World and destroy their warp unit.
    Main Objective: Save Earth from Dark Judges.
11. Name: Beneath Janus
    Info: An alien terrorist group have invaded Mega-City One using the sewers to enter.
    Main Objective: Eradicate Gila Munja terrorists.
12. Name: RC4 Processing Plant
    Info: The convicts there are threatening to pollute Mega-Ciy One with toxic waste.
    Main Objective: Destroy RC4 cannisters to prevent pollution.

There's one more level to find following the destruction of the Dark Judges, but if we were to tell you what it was we'd be banged up in the Iso-Cubes for twenty years. Still, a forthcoming tips guide will reveal all, so stay tuned...

The arrival of Dredd has caused quite a stir in both the movie and software industry, and so it's hardly surprising the hype and anticipation have reached fever-pitch. But as the game stands, it's not quite the top title I was hoping for. Visually, I was impressed by the heavy emphasis on scenes and characters from the comics mixed with the cinematic plot, but the repetitiveness of the enemy sprites throughout level after level, is demonstrative of consistent lack of variation. What's more, the mission objectives also tend to be along the same lines - activating teminals, opening doors. Once you've got past the first couple of levels, this endless repetition doesn't inspire you to battle on.

Unfortunately, Dredd is nothing more than a decidedly average platformer, that manages to keep its head above water on the strength of the movie tie-in and the nice design touches. The next generation of systems looms, and Dredd looks dated already. Lots of potential, marred by the shackles of a platformer.

Hmmmm, never before have I been so split over a game. Whilst Judge Dredd is obviously yet another run-off from the Stargate/Alien 3 game engine, it is very faithful to both the film and comics, with neat touches lifted from each throughout.

Graphically, it's no great shakes, with small uninteresting sprites and moderately detailed backdrops, but there are loads of small touches which are guaranteed to make ardent Dredd fans happy.

A perfect example of this is the way Probe have made the Lawgiver power-ups integral to the game. Whilst Ricochet bullets and Boing could have been just two more weapon ideas, both are essential during some of the levels - for instance, only Boing can stop the Dark Judges returning from the Dead World.

Yet whilst the weaponry system works in this respect, the gun JD initially uses features the weakest bullets ever, with some baddies requiring dozens of hits before they fall over.

The main problem Dredd suffers from is a lack of imagination, and that's what stops it becoming a Megagame. We've seen the Stargate engine too many times now, and whilst Dredd is the most effective use of its 'platform and flying sequence' levels to date, I came away thinking more could have been done with it.

Still, Judge Dredd does indeed have plenty of levels and a variety of bad guys - if not wildly different level objectives - and plays every bit as well as Alien 3 whilst being heaps better than the dull Stargate.

However, Alien 3 is knocking on a bit now, and this just doesn't offer enough extras to make it an absolute classic. Drokk! As Joe would say...

Each of the thirteen stages is split into three sub-levels. The basic objectives remain the same throughout the first two, but the third would plays host to a larger 'Boss' perp of some description.

Initially, things start off nice and easy, with a shield-swinging crime lord, but the path to Rico's Janus project sees Dredd battling ABC Robots who are impervious to normal bullets, and require three direct hits from Hi-Ex bullets whilst they are facing Dredd, before facing Rico who jets around the screen in a pair of anti-grav boots.

And this is just a warm-up until you get to the Dark Judges later in the game...

Dredd's Lawgiver is equipped with the capacity to take different kinds of bullets. Initially, Dredd is armed with an infinite supply of ordinary bullets, but killing perps and blowing open crates reveals icons which are automatically added to JD's inventory. The following all have specific uses, and are switched between using the C button:

1. Bullet: Used against ordinary perps.
2. Ricochet: Useful in contained areas - Aspen, for example.
3. Grenade: Opens crates and essential for the Halls Of Justice's guard droids.
4. Hi-Ex: The only weapon really effective against ABC Robots.
5. Armour Piercing: Use aganst corpses containing Dark Judges.
6. Incendiary: Boss material - saps energy fast!
7. Boing: When the spectral shape of an escaping Dark Judge appears, switch to this.
8. Heat-Seeking: Useful if a perp is firing from above.
9. Flare: Found in Dead World, and speeds up the demise of Death, Mortis and Co.

Inventories of Dredd's health, ammunition stocks and mission details are accessed using a number of Justice Law Terminals which are scattered throughout a number of the levels. Logging on simply involves facing Dredd towards the terminal, and the screen will black out to unveil the said three options.

In later levels, these terminals perform a dual purpose, as they are used to lock up the prisoners during the Aspen prison riot, and must be destroyed if Rico's Janus plans are to be thwarted.

Graphics 81%
P. Dredd fans will be pleased with the instantly recognisable sprites and backdrops. Brilliant Dark Judges sprites!
N. The small size of the sprites makes everything look a bit wimpy.

Animation 74%
P. The sprite runs, crawls, kneels, fights and climbs just like the comic and movie Dredd.
N. The perps are a bit lacking in the movement department.

Music 53%
N. An appalling intro dirge, and absolutely stuff-all in the game itself.

Effects 32%
N. Rather wimpy gun noises, and similarly dull in-game action grunts and crashes.

Playability 81%
P. Although the similarities to Stargate are obvious, this is the best use of it yet. The levels are large with a variety of weapons to use strategically against the many perps. A definite challenge.

Lastability 79%
P. Fine and dandy. The thirteen worlds are split into three sub-games, offering mucho lasting appeal. The bosses are real toughies.
N. A little more variety wouldn't have gone amiss - the levels are all very samey.

Overall 80%
A little familiar-looking, but Dredd is still very playable and a bit platformer. More originality would have been nice.