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Surprisingly enough, Mazemania is... well, you guessed it. And the star of this maze game is Flippo, a deadringer for the beachball with feet which 'menaced' the crew of 'Dark Star'.

Trapped in a rather large maze he wanders about, flipping over the floor slabs to make them all a single colour. Some of the slabs flip over to clashing colours, walking over them again, or from a different direction should enable you to turn these the right colour too.

Of course, there's plenty of people who like the old colour scheme and they chase Flippo, trying to rob him of energy and lives. Flippo can jump over them, and gaps in the floor, and collect floating icons for extra lives and the ability to kill the baddies.

If you solve one maze, there's fifteen more, of varying themes and graphics.

Hewson are one of the most imaginative software houses, developing original games like Nebulus rather than relying on licences. But that said, this is an awfully dull game. There really isn't that much more to it than wandering around poorly drawn mazes, flipping over slabs. At a budget price, or given away with a Spectrum, it might have pleased the purchaser for an hour or two.

I just don't understand why Hewson have released this prehistoric "Painter" game. The graphics are tacky, the gameplay repetitive. On budget, it might have been acceptable but I can't see many people paying ten quid for such a simple, unoriginal game.

Presentation 38%
Continue level option is good, but otherwise basic.

Graphics 40%
Bland, Spectrumesque slabs with poor scenery and sprites.

Sound 55%
Appealing intro tune and mechanical in-game FX.

Hookability 42%
Basic gameplay wouldn't tax the mind of a stuffed Flippo!

Lastabiilty 41%
Four basic types of maze graphics, but layouts random.

Overall 40%
Would've been hopelessly out of date in the Stone Age.