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Space Harrier was one of the first Sega sit down and ride as you blast games.

It shook up the arcades as much as the players who played it, as the hydraulically driven coin-op didn't come cheap. An upright stand and play version of Space Harrier soon followed and the game became one of the monster arcade hits of '86. Sega quickly realised that they were onto something with hydraulics and spectacular 3D graphics - following up Space Harrier with classics like Afterburner, OutRun and Thunderblade.

Elite grabbed the home rights to Space Harrier and carved out a reputation as the leading coin-op converter of the time.

Three years on, and the 16-bit versions arrive. Will they still thrill the way their predecessors did, or will they appear too simplistic for ST and Amiga gamers?

The first thing you notice about the Amiga version is that it fills the whole screen. No tiny postage stamp-sized window through which you view the play. The 3D effect is so much more effective as a result of filling the screen - you really feel like you are flying.

Space Harrier is a very simple 3D shoot-'em-up. Get as far as you can, destroy as much as possible on the way, and see if you can stay in the air as the game accelerates.

It either works or fails on the quality of its 3D routine and its speed. For these reason people scoffed when Elite attempted to code it on 8-bit machines. Those people lived to eat their words then and any honest opinion of this version has to be that it is an excellent conversion.

The speed and the slight feeling of air sickness are all there as your hero jet-packs his way around the screen with his heavy laser resting in his arms.

The simplicity of Space Harrier is emphasised when you read the storyline. All you are told is that the Dragon land is occupied by "barbaric and evil creatures" and you (the Space Harrier) enter into "mortal combat" with these "aliens of another planet".

Basically - just jump into the air as the machine yells "get ready" and start blasting.

Just speed on the trigger and nifty manoeuvring of your character are what is required to dodge the aliens.

At the end of each level is a nasty - the first one being a giant dragon requiring segment by segment destruction of its ugly, writhing torso.

Later, you come up against giant robots - and still more dragons. There are no real rules with Space Harrier - which is one reason I am so keen on it. It is an entirely unpretentious computer game full of weird and wacky nasties.

Altogether you have ten levels to deal with in this Amiga version - the same as the ST. They get tougher as you go - speeding up - so that it is going to take you a while to clock it.

Space Harrier fans will be well pleased with the 16-bit versions.