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Take a rotund, yellow chap with no arms or legs and put him in a maze full of power dots and monsters. What have you got? Well, actually it's Puffy's Saga.

You get to help Puffy (or his female equivalent Puffyn - distinguished by a bow on her head!) escape from his dungeon prison. On each of twenty scrolling, multi-loaded levels all the 'pad goms' (power dots) must be collected to advance to the next.

The monsters which patrol the mazes - including ghosts, acid puddles, flying dragons and dangerous eyes - reduce Puffy's energy on contact. However, although armless, Puffy isn't totally harmless: he can shoot at the nasties. Bonus items can also be collected to give extra speed and firepower, monster repellency and invisibility. Food replenishes energy while keys open locked wall sections. Blue 'magic goms' can be activated in several ways - to provide a level map, slow monsters, or even equip Puffy with a flamethrower!

Saga is definitely the right word for this: it takes an age to load each (not particularly big!) level - it even stupidly reloads the first one even if you die on it!

Unfortunately the game is only marginally more enjoyable than all the waiting around. Graphics are dull with the levels looking much the same apart from a change in sickening colour. As for the action, it's mind-numbingly boring maze fodder without a hit of originality.

Save your money and buy Gauntlet on budget.

Well, what can I saw about a wame where you're Puffy? 'Cheap Gauntlet variant with cutesy, Pac Man-inspired graphics' sounds about right.

The title music is nice and funky and the high score screen (called Hall of Puffy Men - ahem!) is quite impressive, with bi-directional colour flow on the swinging table.

The small Puffy sprite is remarkably detailed but otherwise graphics are crude, as is the infuriating, incomprehensibly multi-loaded game as a whole. I sincerely hope the Saga of the title isn't meant to imply a series of sequels!

Presentation 45%
Good title screen, invaluable save game position, choice between Puffy and Puffyn. Appalling multiload.

Graphics 35%
Mediocre with not much variety.

Sound 66%
Jaunty title tune, okay in-game FX.

Hookability 34%
Frustratingly tough at first.

Lastability 38%
Twenty challenging but unentertaining levels.

Overall 37%
Unoriginal and outdated, hardly a-maze-ing.