Sigh...who could forget Gauntlet? Didn't you just love those endless trips to the arcades with your mates, pockets bulging with a week's allowance in 10ps? Remember how you fought over who played the Barbarian and the Wizard, but no-one ever wanted the Elf? Are you still trying to forget how much money you wasted on it? The temptation to chuck in another 10p to keep yourself in the game was almost irresistible, especially when the speech synth told you you were "about to die" in sepulchral tones.

No need to line the coin-op owner's pockets with the C64 version, of course...

The tape kicks off with Gauntlet itself, a Sizzler at full price. On a four-way scrolling maze layout viewed from above and roughly two by two screens in area, our intrepid explorers must grab the gold, bash the baddies, and find the exit before they run out of health. All four characters from the coin-op are represented, but only two can be played in any one game. Neither can leave the screen unless the other is following, so close co-operation is essential.

The dungeon is inhabited with lots of mean monsters such as ghosts, rock-throwing lobbers and fire-breathing demons. Each has its own method of attack which I won't bore you with here, but you'll have to learn quickly - the baddies are created by liberally-placed monster generators which turn them out faster than a Japanese car factory!

Luckily, all our chums can shoot or hack their way through them, and blow away the generators.

Various power-up items are on offer, such as food to replenish health [See, I told you overeating is good for your health! - Ed], magic potions that kill all on-screen baddies, increase firepower or give armour, and keys which open doors (quelle surprise!).

An amazingly close interpretation of the coin-op, even the dungeon plans have been retained! The graphics are great and, when the screen fills, the game doesn't slow down at all, A four-player option would have been nice, but I suppose it's too much to ask from an 8-bit computer -it must've been hard enough getting so many sprites on the screen at the same time. Besides, if you're as popular as Lucy you'll have enough trouble finding one friend, let alone three!

A great game, and still a worthy Sizzler.

Completed Gauntlet already? Well, load up The Deeper Dungeons and start all over again! Basically more of the same, this expansion pack provides different layouts for the main game - exactly what you'd expect, really! What else can you say?

A tightened and tweaked version of its illustrious predecessor, Gauntlet II features better graphics, better animated sprites, and more depth of gameplay.

The concept is identical to Gauntlet - you still race round an overhead maze mashing monsters and grabbing gold, you still play one or two characters from the four available, and you still poo your pants when Death appears, but now there's a rather nasty oojit that attracts him - grab this, and you're in trouble, 'cos he can't be killed and the only escape is to find the exit before he finds you!

Also new to the sequel are the acid puddles, life-depleting pools of green slime that wander around aimlessly and can't be shot, poisoned food, invisibility and invulnerability. Tread on a 'stun tile' and you're paralysed for a while, and moving exits could give a whole heap of trub!

A corker of a compilation, fans of the genre will love it! The entire Gauntlet saga for only a fiver? Barg!