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Thing has bounced back - and now Gremlin has given that all time fave, Bounder, a retread and sent him out to face more deadly dangers.

Unlike many sequels, which often attempt to spin out a successful theme and tempt you to part with your hard-won cash for more of the same, Re-bounder is a very playable standalone game. Bounder fans will curl up their toes with joy when they get their hands on a copy.

Bounder finds himself in the Overlord's fortress, which is heavily defended by all sorts of aliens, bubbling lava pits, slime-jelly, and other horrible hazards.

Your job is to steer Bounder over, around and along the familiar suspended platforms and hazards to reach the Overlord in time for the final showdown.

At the end of each level you'll come across a Sentinel, one of the Overlord's more powerful minions. Defeat it and you move on to further more dangerous levels.

The first level is simply to get you used to handling old Bounder again. After all, it could've been some time since you've played the classy original.

It may have just been me, but I felt that this new Bounder wasn't quite as responsive as the first - but after a couple of sessions the extra added attractions thrown in by the programmers more than make up for it.

Bounder can defend himself against the Overlord's alien minions by firing various projectiles at them. Collect the 'F' symbols and you get different sorts of weapons, indicated by a number at the side of the symbol. A few games and you'll know what you're picking up.

Watch out for the 'A' symbols too - these give Bounder a suit of designer armour, protecting him against the attentions of even the most persistant alien attacker.

As in the original there are slabs that make Bounder bounce further, slabs that provide extra points, slabs that give mystery bonuses - good or bad - plus new things like the smart bombs needed to defeat the Overlord and the neat inflation stations which allow you to pump bounder up.

More pressure in the ball makes for higher jumps. But don't pump him up too much - otherwise you'll be clearing up a nasty mess on the inside of your TV screen!

Complete the first training level, defeat the Sentinel and you get a choice of directions. You can continue bounding left to right - or switch to scrolling up or down. All of which should give even the most demanding Bounder freak value for money.

There are no less than nine different sorts of aliens to contend with - each with different capabilities. But there's one thing they have in common - if you don't blast them they'll get you as sure as eggs is eggs!

Beware the Crackle. This is a sort of mobile - and very deadly - electric barrier. Shoot out the terminals and you path will be clear. Fail and you'll be fried. You can try to jump, but you'll fail nine times out of ten.

Graphics and sound are excellent - in fact, the whole package is extremely well presented, including the intro messages which feature some amusing bits of coders trivia.

Re-bounder is bound to have many hidden secrets - only to be unlocked by prolonged play. And you'll want to keep coming back for more because the game is just as addictive as its predecessor. Take our advice and catch a copy today!

Ideas Central and The Ed await you hints, tips and cheat modes with anticipation. But do an old man a real favour will you? Don't keep us waiting too long!