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Why is it called Slapfight? Because it's about as friendly as a slap round the chops, that's why. Not that you expect hordes of alien invaders to be all that civil, but these are particularly nasty. Spitting bullets from both fast-flying fighters and rapid-firing ground installations, these aliens are mean.

Small compensation for their viciousness is the fact that some of them leave Gold Stars - obviously frustrated teachers, these aliens. But collecting them not only improves your ego, it lights up one of the options at the bottom of the screen. These are Speed-Up, Side Lasers, Wing Extensions, Forward Firing Bombing System, Front-Mounted Laser, Homing Missiles and Shields. Both the Speed-Up and Wing Extension icons can be selected several times for increasing effect. Get hit and you lose all your add-on equipment, as well as Gold Stars.

This Imagine conversion of a Taito coin-op received a very warm welcome back in '87, earning 80% as "a superb arcade conversion and a great shoot-'em-up in its own right". Paul Sumner thought it was almost as good as the original, although Ciaran Brennan had some reservations as it lacked originality.

Looking at the game now the 80% mark seems a bit generous, with extreme difficulty and a severe lack of originality reducing hookability. Dying near the end of a level leaves your ship crawling along with pathetic weapons - a very easy target.

Nevertheless, the graphics are attractive and, given sufficient controlled aggression, you *can* survive the blizzard of bullets. Programmed by John "Untouchables" Meegan, this is a fun shoot-'em-up for gentre fanatics.