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Montezuma's Return is the sequel to an old, old game called Montezuma's Revenge which once came out on a computer called a BBC Micro. If you've never heard of it, ask your grandparents or something. Anyway, the original game involved exploring a mass of tombs hidden within a huge pyramid, and in a fit of originality, that's exactly what the sequel is about.

You play the part of a stumpy Indiana Jones type adventurer, complete with fedora, but sadly lacking the trusty bullwhip. Our hero doesn't in fact carry any weapons at all, forced instead to rely on the time-honoured technique of jumping over his enemies or simply running away.

The plot is fairly straightforward. You must search the 150 trap-filled chambers to find an elusive treasure without losing everything to the numerous horrors that lurk within the maze-like structure.

Gameplay is simple. Your adventurer can duck, run, jump, climb and slide down poles (apparently the fireman's pole is not a new invention!) Along the way you need to collect keys to open doors, avoid spiders, snakes and rolling skulls as well as flame-filled pits, hazardous drops and burning ropes.

This is classic platform action at its best. Your character responds instantly to deft touches on the control pad and the lack of weapons means the game is more puzzle-orientated rather than reliant on violent action. However, it should be mentioned that Montezuma's Return is not in the least bit forgiving. Your character dies instantly the minute he touches a flame, hits a monster or falls any distance greater than his own height. About the only concession is that if you pick up one of the knives that are lying around they allows you to take one hit from an enemy without dying.

Long term platform fans who miss the challenge of the old platform puzzle games will love the nostalgic elements of this game, but newer gamers might be put off by the difficulty level and the repetitive nature of the gameplay - climb ladder, jump snake, climb another ladder, grab key, climb another ladder, etc...

It has to be said though that these black and white shots don't do the game justice - the full colour version is much nicer to look at, with detailed characters and atmospheric scenery. This is what platform games used to be like, should be like, but sadly aren't really like any longer. It's definitely worth a look for that reason alone.