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At the end of Spellbound, Magic Knight rescued Gimbal the Wizard from the castle of Kern, but was then catapulted centuries into the future. Now he finds himself inside the USS Pisces, only able to understand the workings of the 25th Century by virtue of a datacube given to him by a metallic creature, Once again, Magic Knight must complete many tasks before he is able to return to his own time.

Knight Tyme utilises the same pull-down menu system (Windovision) that was seen in Spellbound, allowing manipulation of objects, characters, and the casting of spells. Aliens and robots wander around the ship and can help Magic Knight, but he must command them to sleep occasionally so that they do not die of exhaustion. Not all characters are helpful, however - so watch out!

Spellbound was released way back in June '86, so its successor has been a long time in arriving, and I'm glad it finally has. Leaping around a spaceship interacting with characters and puzzling over the possible uses of the wide variety of strange objects is almost as much fun as it was in the castle setting of Spellbound.

There lies Knight Tyme's only problem - its similarity to its predecessor. If you already have Spellbound, or even Stormbringer, you could find this game too close to the original. Still, at only three pounds, it's excellent value for money.

Spellbound was considered a good game for three basic reasons. Firstly, it was quite an extensive adventure, secondly it had an innovative control system, and thirdly it was cheap. Two years later Magic Knight returns.

The control method is the same, the price is the same, but the adventure itself is more limited. The puzzles may appear to have logical solutions, but finding a way to carry out the necessary actions is very frustrating. After several fruitless attempts to have a photograph taken, I began to get severely disheartened. Don't buy this game unless you're a serious adventurer with the ability to wrap your head around the most confusing dilemmas.

Presentation 92%
The Windovision system is easy to get into and a lively sense of humour is spread throughout the game.

Graphics 70%
Lacking in colour but adequate.

Sound 69%
Loud and lively effects but the hi-tec tune is liable to annoy.

Hookability 89%
The arcade adventure puzzle-solving elements are a powerful hook.

Lastability 84%
A lot to do before Magic Knight can return home.

Overall 80%
An amusing arcade adventure which is only marred by the fact that it's no advancement over Spellbound.