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Last year, the arcade world was taken by storm. Coin-op manufacturer Williams, a company famous for its early classics like Defender, Joust and Stargate, released a brand new machine.

Narc featured incredible graphics, sampled soundtrack and more blood and guts than any coin-op. The worthy anti-drug sentiments of late, had been taken to the extreme in this coin-op.

You take the role of a law enforcement officer bent on bringing drug trafficking to a standstill. How does this officer set about the task? Does he liaise with the local youth? Does he lobby members of local government? Does he hold a sponsored walk? No. He shoots everybody.

Armed to the teeth with machine gun and rocket launcher, he heads into the streets and starts killing people. His target, though, is one person in particular - the head of the "Mr. Big Corporation", headed by the insidious and evil Mr. Big.

Mr. Big has made a whole pile of cash from human misery and despair, the devil, and if you want to bring him to justice, you have to make your way through ten levels of horizontally-scrolling action before the final confrontation with his royal fatness. Your fully tooled-up copper can loose off bursts of machine gun fire, or do serious damage with a rocket launcher. He can jump or crouch to avoid enemy fire, and if he happens to find one, he can drive around in a very well armed Porsche.

The enemy present themselves in various guises. They all have one thing in common, however - they are all spaced out on mind-bending drugs. Watch out especially for the crazed PCP addicts. The PCP they have consumed has given them superhuman strength. You'll have to shoot the crazy suckers several times before they drop.

Rabid dogs attack at various intervals, too, chewing your vital bits and pieces. They can be tricky to shake off (ouch!), and their owners attack while the dogs have you occupied.

Evidence, in the form of cash and drugs, can be picked up along the way for extra points. Extra ammo and rockets can also be found littering the streets.

The enemy have some fairly pokey weaponry, including a helicopter gunship and things can get very tough. In single-player mode, some sections are dang near impossible, but a second player can join in at any time.

The game uses a joystick to control player one, and keyboard for player two. However, both need to access the keyboard to jump or crouch, and this makes things very difficult.

The graphics are at times ill defined and confusing, although the intro screens are spectacular. The sound and music are nice, but the overall effect is not good. Bullets are often invisible against the garish backgrounds, and some of the sprites are really not far short of diabolical.

Almost all of the features of the original have been included in this version, but the game only really comes into its own in two-player mode. Narc is a nice attempt at converting a brilliant coin-op, but nothing special.

Narc the coin-op relied heavily on the stunning graphics. Unfortunately, these have not come across too well; the screen gets very cluttered and confused, and the action is slowed to a snail's pace.

Drive the Porsche

Graphics 675
Colourful and bright, but far too confusing - watch out for the chunky sprites!

Sonics 80%
Perfectly adequate in-game fx, backed up by some meaty tunes.

Grab Factor 60%
Disappointing graphics and little to gain your attention.

Staying Power 61%
Ten levels, but all very similar and very boring.

Overall 60%
A below average conversion of an impressive looking but mediocre coin-op.