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Space Panic was a coin-op game which used to gobble up my loose change. Now I don't have to put another penny into the machine.

Sam Spade, a cute little fellow who, for reasons beyond his control or my understanding, is trapped in a square cavern with maniac monsters for company.

Understandably, Sam is a little annoyed at being outnumbered and so rushes up and down ladders and along walkways frantically digging traps. A sharp tap on the head with his space sends them to their doom. Unfortunately, if a nasty is left too long in a trap it frees itself and mutates into a more hostile form.

All these are the ingredients of an addictive game, and Sam Spade is as compulsive as its arcade counterpart. The relatively small size of the TV screen simply adds to the atmosphere, as do the well-programmed sound effects. The monsters are not particularly intelligent, but if they were the game would be unplayable.

I was hooked. The only criticism is of the annoying long, if rather flash, ending to the game. I simply could not wait to play again.

T.B.