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Just another boring Wednesday, you thought as you reluctantly rolled out of bed. Just another day thinking up plots for your fantasy books and the weekend is just too far off to look forward to. Back to the grindstone, you thought, as you put on those oh-so-cool jeans and stepped into those LA Gear trainers. "Get something to eat," was your last thought in the 20th Century before promptly falling through the time-space continuum into a place you never learnt about in Geography...

Spiralling back through the ages, you learn via a sen-surround voiceover that the evil god Dameron has taken command of the Earth and is corrupting the good godly fraternity. Dameron has also moved through time spreading his evil influence into the hearts of men. The planet and its future are now looking very shaky indeed.

You've been selected to put things to rights, but the forces of Good can't directly help you, and all those violent classical myths you learnt about at school have been made real to battle against you...

Heavenly briefing over, you land with a thump is a place where the central heating seems turned up a mile high - Hell. Set to give you an appropriate greeting is a rotting skeleton with a flashing sword. Use your fists and feet to send it to the lowest depths of Hades from whence it came, then nick the sword.

As you venture onwards, harpies buzz around like flies, getting in your way and even pushing you around. However, these pesky varmints are nothing compared with Old Nick himself who rises from the flames, or the Chimers which guards the exit to the next section. Make your escape and at least you'll be out amongst 'open plan' ruins, ready to fight Roman warriors, even more harpies, and a bewitching woman with an interesting present for those who treat her with respect.

Following the Roman/Greek scene are the ledges of Hades with a wicked-looking Medusa and the end-level Hydra blocking your way. The sword is useless but if you keep ahead you may just get through (there's a clue in there).

You may be rewriting history but there's still a long way to go. The Norse age welcomes you aboard a Viking longboat as lightning flashes and the wind howls. The subsequent forest may seem peaceful enough but trolls, fire imps, and a funeral pyre pose some tactical problems. Thor is also to be met on the platforms high up in the clouds in the domain of the Gods, and is not the friendliest or souls, unsurprisingly.

And just when you thought things were getting worse, things do get worse. Whisked off to Egypt for the third load, the ancient curses of the Pharaohs can easily prove fatal as traps spring forth from the walls and floors of the Pyramid passageways - that is, if you can find your way into the pyramids to start with (try jumping!).

Dameron awaits in all his evil glory in the fourth load where a confrontation of immense magnitude waits, the results will go down in the annals of history, it's your claim to immortal fame no less, but in the circumstances it's been a pretty lousy start to the day, even for a Wednesday.

If you thought the Barbarian sword clanging was a good effect then you ain't heard nothing yet. Amazing sword clashes plus spine-chilling, rattlesnake hisses from the Medusa and roars from the Hydra and others combine with gorgeous graphics to create a superb atmosphere.

Each of the three sections per load may seem a little short but each requires different tactics to succeed. The programmer and graphic artist have been let loose with this game and created what must be the best platform game this year. A lot of the puzzles are along the Tusker line in difficulty and take some working out (perhaps a little too much in some places).

At the same time, you've got to survive the relentless onslaught of skeletons, soldiers, dungeon denizens, and evil deities.

With twelve zones in all, it doesn't seem a massive game at first glance, but just you play it and comment afterwards on the ease of it all - it ain't that simple!

Having become totally immersed in the classics and mythology when I was a school kid I cannot enthuse enough about Myth. All the classic ages come to life on your C64 in the very, very capable hands of Peter Baron with faultless Bob Stevenson graphics.

The Salamander-style flames on the first level set the scene for a red hot game. It's great to see such a wonderful mixture of pure slash arcade action together wth an unobtrusive, but thought-provoking strategy: getting the shield is a clever example requiring a little brain power and classical knowledge to succeed.

This is, to my mind, a dream come true with an atmosphere that goes through the roof. Needless to say, the extra touches on what is a brilliant game really do leave you open-jawed - just when you think you've seen all of a level, along comes a little effect to cap it all.

System 3 remain one of the few independent software houses developing original software for the C64. Their commitment to the C64 shines through in Myth's superlative presentation, graphically this is one of the most imaginative and varied games around. Gameplay crosses platform-and-ladders with arcade-adventuring.

The puzzles can be a bit obscure, and combat is tough, but an experienced gamesplayer will welcome this as the ultimate arcade-adventure.

Nothing new perhaps, but still completely amazing.

Presentation 94%
Traditional System 3 quality packaging plus excellent in-game bits and bobs.

Graphics 95%
The best character animation since the days of Impossible Mission with truly incredible creatures to defeat, and outstanding backgrounds to admire.

Sound 90%
Where there are sound effects they're marvellous. A great Maniacs of Noise sonic accompaniment to set the scene.

Hookability 87%
A little on the tough side to start with, with some tricky puzzles to overcome...

Lastability 96%
...but persevere and you're rewarded with ever more imaginative backdrops, creatures and puzzles through four extremely varied loads.

Overall 94%
Clash Of The Titans was never this good!!!