Politicians, soldiers, even controversial novelists are eligible for police protection, so why oh why is the same consideration not afforded important scientists? Take the case of Doctor Masker Lindberry, expert in optical laser technology. Could the government of 2049 not have realised he was in danger from the League Against Dubious Names?

It's probable that his vast knowledge of mad science will be used to threaten the safety of the world! So hurry, Night Strikers! Climb into your wonder cars and chase the terrorists to their lair!

Night Striker is one that Taito dreamt up by themselves, although the action resembles many old Sega coin-ops.

Survive each of the 3D stages, picking a route to the terrorist base. Shoot enemies and avoid 3D features.

1. City
   The cityscape is a pile of random buildings hiding heinous helicopter hordes. Your flightpath follows the line of the highway, making targets of the terrorists' killer cars.
2. Factory
   The factory has a low slung roof, supported by pillars that are easy to fly into. Later factory levels have box obstructions. The boss is a trolley with a single robot arm, and a nasty line in plasma bombs.
3. Canal
   The canal is made hazardous by the ventilation ducts slung across the narrow waterway. Your shield is depleted quickly here.
4. Sky
   Above the city area, squadrons of helicopters attack. The boss is a massive skyship which lowers cannons from its underbelly to attack. These are its Achilles' heels (so to speak).
5. Sea
   Mess about on the water, by flying through a flotilla of killer sampans (?) These normally innocuous and serene ships give a speeding Night Striker a nasty headache. Then pass through a series of low bridges before taking on a dual dragon boss.
6. Tunnel
   Unquestionably the hardest areas are the claustrophobix tunnel zones. Huge spheres roll down on top of the Night Strikers, which must then negotiate a series of sliding gates with narrow gaps. The 'boss' is actually a series of running chicken things that try and ram you. Murder most 'fowl'.

Gameplay in Night Striker is utterly simple. Don't worry about gears - you can't change speed! Your futuristic car is filled with advanced 'mono-velocity' technology, which means all you have to do is shoot. And all the enemy does is shoot back. Your right/left movement is severely restricted. Just choose a branch to select the next level.

The Night Striker has shield protection. At full power, it sustains up to five hits, before your ship is vulnerable. Collision with plasma bolts, enemies and objects costs one shield point.

When you reach the final stage, your craft transforms to meet the final boss. It may become a "Space Harrier-type" warrior, or a deadly motor-bike! Don't despair, it doesn't alter the game, or your "enjoyment" at all.

I'm gobsmacked. This has to be one of the crockiest CDs in the game cosmos! The graphics are stupendously bad, sort of 'cubist'. The sprites are totally unrecognisable. But please, please believe me when I say the playability - the part you can't see is ten times worse!

The game is easier than OutRun 2019, a game so unchallenging that Jeremy Beadle could complete it while carrying a tray of drinks (with both hands). It's utterly crappily programmed, even Taito's previous Ninja Warriors, a digital horror, looks good by comparison.

Taito are going to get a really bad name if more like this is to come.

This reminds me of the days when home programming was a big deal. Mates would invite me round their houses to witness their latest interpretation of Space Invaders, Pac Man, Tennis and the like.

They were all absolutely terrible, of course, but it was never for anything more than a laugh. Likewise, Night Striker is nothing more than a laugh and it too looks like something one of my mates might knock together in about 40 minutes.

In fact, it's difficult to raise even a snicker. It's awful! A disgrace! Somebody, somewhere has deeply offended the chaps at Taito Towers - otherwise they wouldn't have subjected the unsuspecting, Mega-CD owning public to Night Striker.

Do not buy this game!

Presentation 70%
P. There are five difficulty modes, and a novelty 'analogue joystick' mode (completely useless).
N. The intro and plot are crap (and incomprehensible).

Graphics 23%
N. Sprites that have inexplicably ballooned to the point where they have no definition. Backdrops of a quality inferior to the term 'screen garbage'.

Sound 46%
N. Zuntata thrill us with tunes that would have been rejected as Brother Beyond B-Sides (if the band members were deaf). The sound effects are also 'bad'.

Playability 14%
N. No, sorry. This game only registers on the scale 'unplayability'. How can you enjoy a game when you can't see what's going on?

Lastability 6%
N. The CD takes about five seconds to access - about the same time as your attention span. This is a one sitting game - it's that bad.

Overall 9%
The worst game for the Mega CD? We'd like to think so, but hey, what ya doing now Taito? Or should I say 'Zuntata'?