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As this game flashes on to the screen it tells you that the program is based on 'an awesome idea by Jeff Minter'.

Jeff Minter, in case you didn't know, has written some excellent games including the notorious Revenge Of The Mutant Camels. An awesome idea from Jeff Minter is not to be sneezed at. Unfortunately for Laser Zone, however awesome the original idea may have been, the final result is awesomely boring.

You control two laser bases. One moves along the bottom of the screen and fires upwards. The other moves up and down on the right and fires horizontally. You can also get them to fire diagonally.

Your targets are an assortment of aliens who've nothing better to do than creep towards your bases and blow them up on contact. You've nothing better to do than shoot them on sight.

If they make contact with either the bottom or right-hand side of the screen, they start creeping along towards your base and can then only be destroyed by diagonal fire from the base on the other axis. This isn't easy.

I have to admit to a sick feeling in the stomach when playing games that take place against a green background. The sound isn't exactly thrilling either.

The Dragon user isn't spoilt for choice when it comes to quality software, but Lazer Zone doesn't do much to fill the gap. Hardened mega-zappers may go for it, but everybody else might as well give it a miss.