Microbe is colourful, quick and noisy. The packaging is up to the normal Virgin Games high standard, with a full explanation of the program and a bit of biography on the programmer. In this case, it is young Simon Birrel who wrote Bug Bombs, an earlier Virgin release.

The 'bug' or 'microbe' is a strange creature resembling a moth. The key response is superb and the creature shoots about very quickly and involuntary collision is a problem when you first get started.

The 'microbe' fires from the tips of each wing and it is therefore necessary to guard against the vulnerable spot between the two cannons. The attackers take the form of multi-coloured shapes which come in waves of varying speeds and density. It proves sensible to destroy the objects which pour down the screen, blasting a hole and getting at the higher scoring characters. These character values are given at the start of the game.

Now and again, the screen action pauses for an instant to allow a quick score check and then on with the hectic action. The destruction of objects, including the 'microbe' are particularly good, with colourful debris spraying all over the place.

The actual objects range from things looking like chewed bits of bubbly-gum to what appears to be a line of snooker balls rolling chaotically around the screen. These are explained in the card insert as deadly organisms but this bit of imagination is not important for the enjoyment of the game. The initial impact of the game was very exciting but I can imagine that the rather limited format could prove tiresome after a number of attempts.

Dave Reeder