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Rastan provides further proof of the growing library of top-notch arcade conversions now coming on stream for the Sega.

The Taito arcade adventure with a heavy dash of swords and sorcery thrown in was a monster hit in the arcades in '87. The first thing that strikes me about this version is its superiority to the 8-bit home computer versions.

The six levels of Rastan are infested with assorted monsters - harpies, minotaurs, bats, snakes and dragons. These nasties have been unleashed by the evil wizard Karg - who can take on the ugly form of a multi-headed dragon.

Playing the part of the warrior Rastan you must battle your way to the end of the sixth level where you confront Karg himself. To kill him you will have to lop off all of his six heads - no easy task as he makes a tough opponent - hopping around the screen and fighting back fiercely.

The levels scroll in four directions - which means that you have to explore above and below ground as well as making your way from left to right. Ropes, ladders, moving platforms, and rafts to cross takes all have to be negotiated to get to the end of levels. A fair degree of platform skill is therefore essential to succeed.

Talking of the platform aspect that was one thing I satisfactory conversion of a splendid coin-op game. If you haven't played the coin-op, it will still appeal as an entertaining hybrid of beat-'em-up, platform, and arcade adventure. A welcome addition to the Sega library.