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The most violence viewers can expect from a TV show at the moment is the occasional outburst from the luckless participants on Beadle's About. However the future, according to Acclaim anyway, holds far interesting entertainment in store for violent lunatics out there in TV land.

Smash TV is in the style the old Robotron coin-op although heavily enhanced to produce a vision of a future TV show, caught somewhere between Rollerball and the Running Man, in which the contestants really do have to fight for their prizes. The player enters a labyrinth of arenas that are stocked to the lofty rafters with stunning prizes, power ups and, unfortunately, large bands of psychotic mutants and robot destroyers, intent on making sure that the only thing people leave the studio with is an ID tag and a death certificate!

Not to worry though... well, much anyway, because the goodly host of this show has left a small selection of weapon power-ups and protective shields for the taking if the contestant is quick enough to take advantage of them. Don't be fooled by this kindness however, because this remarkable display of brotherly love is a means to a terrible end and the wily Beadle descendant only wants to save you to get a chance at killing you himself.

Remarkably Probe have included all the most important features of the a apart from the co-operative two-player option. The sprites are all huge and the controls are adequate, though not perfect as the coin-op allowed for the contestant to fire in one direction whilst moving in another.

Smash TV is satisfyingly playable on the Spectrum and with front seats for the show now going for a song, is a blast well worth viewing.

Smash TV the coin-op is notorious blood 'n' guts attitude to the shoot 'em up theme. This conversion is as good as can be expected and, although slightly frustrating at times, fits the bill very nicely.