Buzzing Buzzards

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Most Beeb conversions from arcade games are disappointing. The BBC doesn't have the power to reproduce accurately most of your paid-for favourites. Skirmish is the exception which proves the rule.

Skirmish is Delos Harriman's version of the unique Joust. You are a knight mounted on a giant buzzard; equipped with your lance, you must fly around the rocky landscape dismounting your rivals. If you strike a competitor from above then you win - if you lose the height advantage then you fall to your death. The only controls are left, right and flap.

When toppled, your opponent becomes an egg. You can collect eggs for points, and you should do so quickly as they soon hatch into considerably more energetic competitors. When you have collected all the eggs, you move to the next level. If you take too long, an almost invulnerable pterodactyl appears to speed your departure.

The best feature is the two-player mode. Playing with a friend, you can attack each other: and there are times when you get a bonus for co-operating, and others for killing your fellow player.

This conversion is accurate right down to the hand which pulls you into the lava pool. And you can kill the vicious pterodactyl by hitting it square on the beak with the lance - but it usually kills me first! Movement is smooth and the graphics are clear, although you really need a colour monitor for the two-player game.

Skirmish requires the fast reactions of a shoot-'em-up, and is much more interesting than an arcade adventure. Recommended.

Stuart Anderson