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At last for all the 6128 owners screaming for enhanced versions of games comes a disk-based special from across the Channel. It also works on a 464 with disk drive (-664) and memory upgrade. A tape version should also be available in a more limited form, but we haven't seen that yet. We've reviewed the completed game but with French instructions - the English version should be on the streets before the end of May.

The action takes place in a rundown area of New York, where you take on the might of the underworld, all on your lonesome. To do something that suicidal would require a hefty financial reward. Every villain gunned down gets you a reward, with big bounties for gang leaders.

The setting is a very detailed and atmospheric city street. It's a slummy area with derelict buildings, building sites and grotty tenements. They're about three screens high and many more wide and, as you can see from the screenshots, tremendously detailed - from the sidewalk with manholes, trashcans and dark alleys to the chimney-stacked rooftops, overhead walkways and windows.

By moving your gunsight you can scroll around this scene, but you won't have long for sightseeing. From behind a vantage point a villain will appear, ready to take your head off with a blast from his gun. To prevent that you have to get the gunsight over the gangster before he can fire and knit a crochet pattern of lead into his body stitch that, punk.

If the assailant isn't in sight he will be above or below you. However if an arrow appears on the side of the screen, it means he's in that direction and you'll have to scroll that way to find him. In either case you need to move fast to find him because a countdown will start; if it gets to the end - you're dead. At first homing in on them seems difficult, but as you get used to the game patterns and hiding places it becomes easier but never easy.

The gangsters come in many different poses, all deadly. When shot, they recoil or collapse, marking another victory for civilized society and your wallet. The poses are excellent and slip neatly into the scenes to look very natural indeed. The hiding places range from small basement windows and a tiny figure on distant scaffolding, to full figures crouched or standing in the street. Many pop their heads out of windows or peep over the rooftops. One nasty character even uses an innocent hostage as a shield and has to be picked off very carefully.

Eventually you get to have a go at one of the big guys whose minions you've been happily wasting. They've got several guards to protect them and you need both speed and bullet economy to put them where they belong in a retirement home six foot under. This gets you a well-deserved bonus before returning to the fray. As you progress, you have to cover more and more screens, better-hidden mobsters and you even have to get more bullets on target to put them away.

There is one saving grace if you can't find your man in time or he refuses to go down. All you do is hit the "hide" key and you'll get a few seconds extra to turn the target into a garden sprinkler. You can use this whenever you like and stay hidden for some time, but there is a limit to the time you can spend hidden. When that runs out, you're wide open to attack.

The game is fast, demanding and addictive. It may seem a little too graphic for some people's liking but basically it's just like one of those old wild-west shootouts. The graphics are superb and so is the music, for which the French obviously have a real flair. A marvellously slick arcade challenge where the good guys may not always get to win, but the bad guys always have massive losses.

Phenomenal graphics, smooth scrolling, addictive gameplay, jolly tunes: it's a winner. The French certainly know how to create highly original games and make the most of the CPC's features. This is one game I found very hard to leave alone. In fact, you are lucky this second opinion got here at all.

It's mean in green and perfectly playable.

10,000.

Graphics 92%
P. Detailed, atmospheric setting.
P. Delightfully drawn characters.

Sonics 80%
P. Great tune throughout game.

Grab Factor 87%
P. Easy to start - just blast away at the bad guys.
P. You need speed, accuracy and concentration.

Staying Power 83%
P. Large playing area which you have to cover gradually more of.
N. Not much depth, just blasting.

Overall 86%
P. Good news for 6128 owners.