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Three minute warning! The Russians have launched a pre-emptive strike. Make your way to the shelters, collect what you need for the next two months, and say goodbye to loved ones allocated different shelters. Our only hope lies in our Strategic Defence Initiative, SDI. Let's just hope it's a better defence than painting the windows and hiding under the stairs with a paper bag on your head.

Activision have brought the US Senate's Strategic Defence Initiative to life for the CPC. The scenario is much the same - only it works. You pilot a satellite trying to destroy Russian missiles before they affect the Beverley Hills property prices. If any get through you have to defend cities individually.

Your ship would win no prizes as Vogue starship of the month, let alone Vogon. You have only one laser to begin with (the cheek of it!), aimed with a roving cursor. Land the cursor on or near an enemy and blast away: accuracy is not of paramount importance when dealing with megaton missiles.

In the first offensive half, you get used to the cursor/fire control - OK with a joystick, but awkward with keys. To move the cursor, the fire button must be depressed, crowding the keyboard. This can be a little distracting when you've a ten megaton missile breathing down your neck.

The number of nukes you intercept is revealed at the end of each section by bar graphs showing the proportion of each type of craft destroyed. If you destroy 100% of incoming weapons you get bonus points, announced right in the middle of Armageddon by dancing ducks!

Logic suggests you sit things out when life gets confused (we are talking Victoria Station rush hour). This ploy has one major drawback: let too many missiles through and earth goes up in a flash of yellow, and it's game over, however many lives you have left! Moral: keep an eye on the damage meter, and time your stints of cowardice and bravery.

Each level only lasts a short time, and then along peddles a shuttle to re-arm you and give you a lift to the next stage. On higher levels during battle, aid and assistance come as supply satellites which drop weapons pods when shot. This comes as a welcome lay-by on the rocky road to victory.

That's all there is, a straight-forward "shoot the evil empire's missiles before they shoot you" game. Speed is needed as the fighter ships desperately try to corner you. The choice is simple: fight or flight.

The space illusion is enhanced by the drift and slight delay in response to your guidance. Overall graphic presentation is excellent, if limited in colour. But then, in space it must still pay to be camouflaged, and olive green is going to stick out a bit.

Satellites spin smoothly and the enemy's attack craft are wonderfully done, with just the right blend of sci-fi and fact to give the game fantasy menace, with a reality base. 'Star Wars' may go ahead as a project, and while the system will not work in exactly this way, it is easy to see how NASA sold the idea to a 70-year old man with a jellybean fixation.

Until the time comes when such a system is in operation, don that spacesuit and let's play global thermo-nuclear war. Remember the fate of the world is in your hands. Someone's got to stop this conflict before something serious happens...

75,000 points.

Graphics 76%
P. Great sprites.
N. Not enough colour.

Sonics 55%
P. In space, no-one can hear you scream.
N. They can only hear you blow up. Where's the music?

Grab Factor 84%
N. Controls take some getting used to.
P. Simple to play, but almost impossible to remain unrattled.

Staying Power 76%
P. Trying to score 100% draws you back again and again. And again.
N. Too easy for hardened spaceshooters...?

Overall 82%
P. Based on reality, set in fantasy.
P. It almost makes the whole SDI thing seem feasible! (I did say almost.)