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Skyfox on the Commodore 64 was greeted by a "shoot-it-and-it-explodes"-starved public with a lot of enthusiasm. Initially disk only due to the size of the program, the game was then released on a multi-load tape.

Amstrad (and shortly Spectrum) owners can now sample the delights of eliminating tanks, motherships and deadly high altitude fighters. And due to it being converted in Britain in goes in in one load.

The game puts you in the legendary Skyfox fighter - the last one left! In front of you is a complex 3D control panel and a view of the ground/air in front of you. Instruments include a birds eye radar view, ammo left, instruments for fuel, speed, altitude, and shields, with a compass and an auto pilot.

Additional navigation aids include a co-ordinate indicator for where you are on the map. Extra information is available via the base computer - but only when the base is still active and hasn't been eliminated by the bad guys.

The base computer can be used to see where there are enemies, what score you have, and what the status of all your instalations is.

So you are launched in your Skyfox fighter, select auto-pilot and wait. Reduce your speed, line up on the tanks and blast away. Climb to bring the mothership into view, select missiles, and fire!

Next, climb up into the stratosphere where it's time to take on the fighters - harder than it sounds, they are quite nasty. Combat up above tends to be fast and furious - so remember to keep some missiles handy.

At the start of the game you can have one of five skill levels and fifteen different scenarios; these alter the type and strategy of the invading enemy forces. These range from different types of training missions so that you can get the measure of the enemies that you will be facing, through the accurately named 'Massive Onslaught' to problem attacks like Chess, or Alamo.

The conversion from the Commodore is graphically accurate, and the colours are quite good. The only drawback is the reduction in smoothness. This is similar to the conversion of Elite for the Spectrum, where to keep the speed up it was made more jerky. This is inevitable though in conversions of this type. Spectrum and Amstrad owners will just have to live with it. Otherwise, good job, Ariola.