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OK folks, what do we need right now? Let me rephrase that: what sort of game can we just not do without? Yup, that's right, got it in one. Another Marble Madness type game.

What originality. What a straggler! And I thought it was last year everyone was doing Marble Madness copies...

I have to admit, though, that this particular MM variant is almost redeemed by some really nice touches. But only almost.

Before sussing out the game itself, a word about the pseudo story that opens the instructions sheet, all about Bertram the Bold, fearless android warrior. Skip it. Leap it at a single bound. Ignore it. It's junk.

Apart from the usual terrain hazards, there are various unfriendly robots zipping around. You have a zapper which you can despatch them with - otherwise they crash into you.

Various tools are dotted about the landscape which can help you complete your task. Ice Switches turn the acid lakes to ice, so you can walk on them; Time Switches alter the clock (can be either good or bad); Teleport Pads teleport you; Droid Freezes stop enemy droids for a time; Smart Bombs kill everything near you; Enemy Droid Generators generate enemy droids, and if you can destroy them there won't be any more on this level; and the letters that are lying around spell out bonus, which is what you get if you collect them all and complete the level.

The only really big difference between this and other Marble Madness clones is that you have the choice of controlling one of three different battle droids at a time. Each supposedly has different skills and abilities, but I haven't beer able to work out what the differences are yet.

The graphics are reasonable enough, but disappointing compared to other games of the same genre. They seem to lack a certain definition that you get in some others. The animations of the central characters - your

THE REST OF THIS REVIEW IS GENUINELY MISSING

If you loved Marble Madness and couldn't get enough of it, then you'll probably love this MM clone - faults and all.