Three minute warning

This is the second offering from Minerva and is a straight zap-'em type game based on the old arcade favourite Missile Command. There is effective use of the mouse to target the enemy - the original used a track-ball.

The scenario is simple: You have six cities - each represented by a church - to protect from nuclear attack. For defence, there are three bases from which you can fire missiles to a position set by sighting the on-screen crosshairs.

Each mouse button corresponds to one base and you have to wipe out the incoming missiles the enemy have fired at your cities. This method of play certainly takes the strain off your keyboard and, if you play for any time, you'll benefit from a mouse mat.

Later in the game you get achance to knock out planes and satellites carrying fresh missile clusters before they are released. Usually you need to aim ahead of your target so that it flies into your explosive cloud, rather than aim to score a direct hit. However, just as you start to become complacent, you find yourself up against smart missiles which dodge.

Although the somewhat sparse graphics are smooth and the explosions quite artistic there's not much variety. Also there is very little by way of sound, and this sort of game really needs it. I can't see anything original about this and I think you could get bored with it quite quickly.

Terry Blunt