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Oh yes, very scary. Like I'm gonna be worried about a few green midgets? One shake of the ol' mop and they'll drop like anyone else [That's cheating - you should use mines and bullets like everyone else - Ed]. Ho hum, s'pose so. This means that instead of just stomping through the game obliterating everything, I'm reduced, like other mere mortals, to relying on this Dangerous block. Great.

There are four levels which you can leap straight into from the main menu. You have to complete all four of these in order to gain access to the final levels, but to begin with you have the choice of Hyde Park, the Ice Caverns Of Freezia, the Forests of Vegetablia and the Atomic Mud Mines.

The basic aim of each level is to get through it, and progress to the next - that's all. So we're off to Hyde Park, attempting to gain access to the alien ship, and remove it from the planet Earth. First impressions are good - with sparks flying around, lasers zapping down, foot switches to turn off force fields, and, through it all, the incredibly cute rock.

Cute is definitely an important part of this game, but it's only employed in the graphic style, and doesn't interfere with the gameplay (there aren't any yucky fluffy bunnies or - yuk - wimpy girlfriends to rescue - it actually enhances it.

That's pretty much the concept throughout the game and, as you progress further, you'll constantly be finding new things to kill or blow up, and you'll constantly be running up against new challenges which need puzzling out.

One problem with this kind of game is that the levels quite often end up pretty much identical, with only the graphics providing any discernible difference. This is definitely not the case with Rick 2. The ice caverns introduce flying jet skis, the forests see Rick mastering rolling boulders around the mud mines incorporate a rather natty set of trolleys. But each level retains the same thread of gameplay that holds the whole thing together so effectively.

In fact, the only real down side to the whole thing is that when you encounter particular puzzles for the first time, timing can be incredibly problematic (especially in the Fat Guy's HQ, one of the final levels of the game). There will always be sections to the game that will require huge amounts of luck as well as accuracy, as there are times you'll feel like you need the timing of the aliens you're trying so desperately to get rid of.

On the sonics side of things, we've got a game with some non-intrusive effects (which are often extremely helpful, nifty little intro ditties to each level and a wonderfully rousing marching tune to complement the title screen.

Grab factor and gameplay? Rick Dangerous 2 definitely lands in the higher end of the range, with its instant appeal of both cuteness and excellence (something we very rarely see these days), and long-lasting depth that gives the game a very long life indeed. On its original review, Rick Dangerous 2 scored a very high 97 per cent, and it was a mark that was well deserved. So now it's out at a budget, price, it should get even more, right?

Well, not quite. Sure, if you buy Rick Dangerous 2 on re-release, you won't have wasted your money, and you'll get to experience a game you really shouldn't miss out on.

But from a reviewing point of view, every now and again you spot something that maybe could have been done better, or made easier but somehow the game manages to carry these imperfections well, adding character to Rick and his surroundings. To be fair it has dated slightly, and the puzzles are the type which irritate as many people as they intrigue, so, this time around, the score isn't going to be quite so ecstatic, but Rick is still a damned fine game.

Graphics 90%
Cute, well-drawn sprites with strong and imposing backgrounds

Sonics 84%
They're all pretty good, but they tend to get on your nerves a bit.

Grab Factor 92%
The game has an instant appeal, drawing you in immediately.

Staying Power 93%
It does get harder, but gently, so as not to put you off later on.

Overall 90%