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When US Gold bought the licence for this hit TV series, it was undecided which type of game would best suit the heroic battles of He-Man. The result is two games. This arcade adventure and a Scott Adams style adventure.

Skeletor, arch-enemy of He-man has found the all-powerful Illearth stone and has overthrown Castle Grayskull. You have to enter the castle, find the stone and defeat Skeletor and free the land.

Orko tried to trap Skeletor in an imprison cell which backfired, trapping Orko in one of the castle's stone pillars. You must find him and give the right ingredients that he will use to turn your sword into Atom Smasher!

On screen, He-man is represented by a feeble yellow clad figure that is surrounded by a black oblong that blots out his immediate surroundings. However, you haven't long to admite this amazing breakthrough in Spectrum graphics, you are attacked by one of Skeletor's minions. Before you can say "you don't mess with He-man", you've despatched it with a single blow and added one to your "skulls cracked" total. This total lies below the main screen display along with the state of your body shield, the objects you carry, your sword status and the self-explanatory countdown of the moons till doom.

The way to the castle is short but hazardous and lies beyond two spied pits complete with deadly electrical pulses beaming across them. Well-timed leaps will lead you to the key and then the castle but mistime one of the three jumps you must make and your quest comes to an abrupt end.

Inside the castle you are met by even more nasties that leap, fly, jump and fire at you but most can be despatched by your fully charged sword of power. This leaves you free to explore the platforms and rooms of the Castle Graystoke until you find Orko with the correct ingredients and defeat Skeletor.

Unfortunately, neither the gameplay or the graphics capture the atmosphere of He-man or the rest of the Masters of the Universe crew and your joystick or keyboard control by controlling anybody or anything (even a pumpkin) while you battle nondescript monsters in yet another completely silent platform-screened arcade adventure.

Another wasted licence.