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Well, well, who would have believed it! I first played this game on the Spectrum way back in the days of Personal Computer Games, Twin Kingdom Valley, and Heroes Of Karn. I suppose it's just nostalgia that makes me look back on those days with such fondness. Of course, there was a lot of tripe as well, but Kentilla definitely wasn't tripe, and now it's up and running on your C64 - and for only £1.99!

Frankly, at that price, I regard it as one of the proverbial 'essential purchases'. It's a quirky little game by Derek Brewster of Codename Mat II renown [He also writes the adventure column for Crash - Ed]. The plot is quite straightforward - go forth into the world, the noble sword Kentilla by your side, and defeat the nasty Grako. The game, however, is about as straightforward as tape-worm tied in knots.

First, there are the most intriguing and incomprehensible characters. Whether you're doing battle with the Rattling Quarg, or exchanging meaningless banter with the Fat Cavezat, you're busy wondering what on earth these creatures do when you're in another location. Despite their strangeness, they appear to have very definite characteristics which lead you to ponder as to the nature of their private lives.

That probably sounds pretentious, but the essence of a good character in a game rests on it being able to convince you of its identity as someone in its own right. It's odd how some characters attract one and others don't - for example. I never had any time for Morin in The Hobbit, for all his singing and ability to say 'No', whereas I conceived quite a liking for the giant in Twin Kingdom Valley, even though he didn't say anything.

It's the same with Kentilla. The different characters can move around, say 'Hello' and take or surrender objects, but they also seem to have a strange, indefinable "personality". After a while you realise that the Nasty Urga-Maul really is nasty, and that the Large Cavezat is precisely that - a Large Cavezat.

I expect I've lost you all by now, but basically the message is this: nip out with £1.99 in your pocket and get a copy of Kentilla.

Oh - and I almost forgot - the game features twelve minutes of pure, unadulterated Rob Hubbard soundtrack. Mastertronic tell me that it was originally meant to be synchronised with the locations but they didn't have time do it. I don't care - it still sounds great and for once I didn't turn off the volume while I battled on with the game.