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This game sounds incredibly exciting on the cassette cover but, in fact, it is a version of Moon Patrol which appeared in the arcades in the days of Scramble.

For those of you too young to remember, here is the plot: you drive a little car across a landscape and shoot things that come along to destroy you. The excitement is in having to negotiate pot holes that occasionally appear in your path.

As you trundle along on your hazardous journey to the enemy base, missile launching meteors fly overhead, rocks block your path and various protrusions appear on the ground.

The graphics are very good. The large multi-coloured characters move around the screen with imperceptible flicker.

Animation is very cleverly done too, particularly the way in which the wheels of your XR5 hug the rough terrain and the way they fly off in various directions when you are blown up.

In fact, the attention to graphical detail is almost scary. The smooth scrolling, the stars passing in the background and the very slick movement of the baddies make this game a joy to watch. The sound is OK, though nothing spectacular.

Unfortunately, this game is boring to play. There's nothing more monotonous than one type of alien getting faster and faster.

Similarly, there are only five sectors to get through, which again limits the lasting interest.

And what happened to the hall of fame? This is definitely obligatory in Beeb games.

It's almost a shame to criticise this game because the original was so fantastic and this could have been as good with a little speed, variety and a little more sound.

If you're looking for a Moon Patrol for your Beeb then buy this. The graphics are good if not outstanding, with some nice touches including flashing beacons and well animated explosions. The sound isn't brilliant and a hall of fame might have been a good idea, but the lack of it won't make you hate the game. So, excuse me while I save the Universe.

I'm a Moon Patrol fan so I was very pleased to see a home micro version. It's a pity it didn't stick more closely to the original, but it's still an enjoyable game.

In all though, Spaceman Sid is a fun game with some pleasant graphics, a nice use of colour, some reasonable sound and a relatively high addiction factor - it's probably worth coughing up for.

Sid's new 'XR5 Laser Armed Combat Rover' really seems a bit old-fashioned and, in fact, the whole thing seems a little out of date with its vertical and horizontal firing and the bouncing over craters. I lied the graphics though - especially the lunar strawberries blocking Sid's path.