High speed action - out where no man has gone before

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If you have a fatal fascination for unsolved mysteries and unexplored territories, then participating in Optima's Omega Probe may just be the sort of program for you.

Little is known about thc Omega Zone except that it lies in the uncharted reaches of the universe, a place from where no man has ever returned alive. Your mission is quite simply to survive, travelling in the ultimate spacecraft - Omega Probe.

Deep space may not be a terribly new or innovative setting, but the story the game depicts does conjure up a sense of foreboding and excitement. I was especially impressed by the way in which it is brought to life on screen by quite splendid colour and animation.

The many hazards encountered by Omega Probe are cleverly displayed by the use of three separate layers of objects all moving simultaneously.

This not only produces one of the fastest machine code games that I have seen, but gives the game an almost 3D effect.

While the controls of the game are fairly simple (compris ing four way movement and a fire button), Optima have included some ingenious refinements.

There are the usual facilities for choosing to play with or without sound and with or without a joystick, as well as a pause option for freezing the game at whatever stage is wished.

The ingenuity arises in that these options can be selected at any time without recourse to the original menu.

Indeed, you can even change options while in the pause mode, not only giving you more time to think, but further enabling you to continue the mission where you left off.

A very simple but nevertheless effective extra is the two keyboard option for controls.

Omega Probe is a must for all game fanatics. It is not just another watered-down version of an arcade game, but a truly original, fast-moving and action-packed game that rivals even the best of arcade game classics.

Karen Torevell