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The inlay card starts like this. Your aim is to collect lumps of coal in the 20 rooms of the Mineshaft. Yes, you've guessed, this is a derivative of Manic Miner: 20 screens of platforms connected by conveyor belts and collapsing floors, populated by meanies.

You guide the miner and try to work out a route for him to collect all the lumps of coal in order to escape to the next screen. In the later screen, the lumps are situated in such a way that, if you make one false move, you can't finish that screen so there's a lot of tactics, as well as nimble finger movements and critical timing involved.

The characters are nicely defined and they move smoothly although a little more variety and imagination would have been welcome. The sound effects are slightly irritating and the constant rendition of Greensleeves in the background can drive you bonkers but can be switched off. In any case, Mineshaft is one of the most enjoyable platform and ladders type games for the Beeb.

S.S.