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Everyone who's ever wanted to have a go at an assault courses now doesn't have to wait to be selected for the next series of The Krypton Factor thanks to CRL's latest release, titled NATO Assault Course.

The game casts you as an eager new prospective recruit to the NATO armed forces who has to complete a gruelling assault course before he can be accepted.

After the initial pre-game selections you can get down to actually tackling the assault course. The screen is split horizontally in half into two independent displays, one for each contestant. Progress is made in true Combat School fashion, i.e. waggling the joystick as fast as you possibly can.

Walls are no problem to jump over. Just pushing up on the still will send your GI flying over the wall (if you timed it correctly that is). More problematic obstacles come in the form of cardboard soldiers that spring out from the ground and must be shot quickly or they'll shoot you. If you do get shot, or indeed fall foul to any dangerous obstacle such as the firepots, the screen will blank out for a few seconds and you'll be positioned a few screens back from where you died. There's also a course adding different obstacles wherever you choose.

Well, I won't beat about the bush. NATO Assault Course is without doubt one of the worst games I've ever played. If you imagine the assault course from Combat School about a hundred times longer with pitiful graphics and restricted gameplay, you'll have some idea of what NATO Assault Course is like. The game's graphics look certainly doesn't warrant its price tag. Steer well clear if you value your dosh. At least Speccy/Amstrad owners will be spared it.