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Having played Digital Integration's first flying game, Fighter Pilot, I was expecting the second, Night Gunner, to be quite similar to its widely successful predecessor. But the only thing that the two games have in common is they are both set aboard aeroplanes.

In the game, you take on the duties of a rear gunner, perched at the back of a fighter bomber, shooting at enemy jets and bombing fuel dumps and military bases on the ground.

You control a sight which you use to home-in on planes and reconnaissance balloons that are circling your plane. My main criticism of the game is that the keys are placed in such awkward positions, it's almost impossible to play it without a joystick, or three pairs of hands, so control of the sight is difficult.

The game's fast graphics more than make up for the difficulties I had playing it for the first half hour. And I'm sure anybody who is lucky enough to have a joystick won't have very many complaints.

Each of the three missions are completely different graphically and tactically. The first obstacle you will have to overcome is the enemy's air defences of jet planes and balloons. The second mission is a low level bombing run over the countryside, and the third and final mission is a blind bombing raid at 20,000 ft.

The display also flashes warning messages from the pilot detailing the damage the plane has incurred and the likelihood of it blowing up and crashing to the ground.

Keeping an eye on the information from the pilot and trying to concentrate on actually bombing the targets takes some time to master, but it's definitely worth it!

Night Gunner is an interesting and enjoyable follow-on from Fighter Pilot, but don't expect the game to be similar, because it's nothing of the kind.