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In times gone by, when knights were bold and crusaders roamed the land, the French (not satisfied with Golden Delicious and Citroen carts) held the treasured Holy Grail. In an attempt to keep this relic of the Last Supper, they stashed the wooden wonder deep within the Caves Of Sabhatez in central France.

Now, around this time Richard The Lion-Heart and a few trusted companions had booked their summer holidays in Jerusalem (apparently it's very nice at that time of year). On their way back, with holiday souvenirs of the treasure in Solomon's temple in hand, they decided to stop a few (k)nights and put up tents in a little field near Toulouse - next to the Caves Of Sabhatez!

But the French King wasn't too happy with all these foreigners using his favourite holiday spot as a campsite. He was so incensed that, with the Pope's blessing, he sent French troops to move these sword-swingers on and protect the ancient remains. A great bloody battle arose with botm sides taking heavy losses. And when all the excitement had subsided, both the Englishmen's treasure and the Holy Grail had disappeared without a trace.

Hundreds of years passed, and the chalice was treated as little more than an ancient legend - till recently, when a wealthy Middle Eastern king sent a message out to archaeologists worldwide with the news that a reward lies waiting for any Indiana Jones-type character who can find the Holy Grail after all these years.

For the lucky man... not the usual holiday for two in Hawaii or a flight on Concorde, but the hand in marriage of the king's delectable young daughter and, of course, half the kingdom.

Only one person comes forward for this 'challenge of the century' a loner of whom we know nothing, Rockman.

In Alligata's Rockman (referred to in the game as Rocman - inconsistent spelling shock!), you are the fearless mercenary making your way through subterranean caverns and caves in a search for the Holy Grail.

As all adventurers know, keys and scrolls must be collected at every opportunity so you can roam through unexplored underground areas, avoiding the guards scattered throughout the mysterious hollows.

And on your quest through the labyrinthine structure you'll come across twelve ancient goblets, which must be gathered to form a magic shield. Only with this do you have any hope of finally taking hold of the Holy Grail and the King's only daughter...

I'm not at all keen on Rockman. The graphics are reasonable, though the scrolling is a throwback to the good ol' days of Rockford and Boulderdash. There's some gameplay, but not enough. 49%

I just love the speech in Rockman! For a minute, when you load the tape, yu get someone talking garbage. It's really neat! The sound is the best part of Rockman, with an average tune and many effects.

The screens are colourful enough, though the scrolling and animation are awful, and the graphics seem to be made up from UDGs. But this doesn't spoil Rockman's addictive qualities. Rockman is way above average and will appeal to most people - and at this price, it's a must for my collection.

Joysticks: Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: Jerky scrolling, otherwise above average
Sound: Strange speech...
Options: One skill level
General Rating: Good graphics but uninteresting gameplay