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Q*Bert lives on in budget form on the Amstrad, although this clone has a couple of features that distinguish it from other versions.

Instead of the normal pyramidal structure of cubes, the layout is instead rectangular. At first it is complete, but as you make your way through the screens more and more blocks disappear, leaving some dangerous holes for you to negotiate.

You, the eponymous Screwball, have to change the colour of each cube within 60 seconds or lose a life. You achieve this by bouncing around and landing on each square. Unfortunately, there are some very nasty black bugs around, who not only sport bizarre fuzzy red hair-dos, but also do for you if you find yourself on the square as them.

However, not for nothing are you named Screwball. The lower half of your body is a corkscrew - a quick press on the space bar and you've whirled a hole into the block. You can then lure the stupid bugs on to them and send them to their doom. But beware - overenthusiastic drilling can result in your penning yourself in.

Screwball is by no stretch of the imagination a great or an original game. But it has good enough graphics, sound and gameplay to keep you amused for at least a little while.

It isn't the cheapest version of Q*Bert available on the Amstrad and it certainly isn't the best. The gameplay can be quite testing but there just isn't enough variety to keep it interesting. The hole-digging function was nice but, after discovering that, there's nothing else to get excited about.

P. Cute graphics.
P. Very playable.
P. Cheap.

N. Not very original.
N. Not much staying power.