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In Spooksville, you play the part of Gaston the Intrepid who is trying to find a spellbook stolen from a great magician many centuries ago by Count Dracula.

The spells can only be used every 500 years, and that time is just about due. The book is hidden in the town of Spooksville - so in you, Gaston, jolly well go to face Frankenstein, Dracula and sundry other horrors.

This torrid scenario paves the way for another arcade adventure game in the style of that old favourite Citadel. The graphics and sound are also closely based on the older game.

Gaston can travel left and right, as well as up and down ropes and ladders. From time to time objects found may help solve the game. For example, the stake will kill Dracula and the barrel will enable Gaston to escape from Frankenstein's lair. Other objects include crosses, holy water, rope, a lamp, gold bars, fireballs, a rod and a sword.

A fairly comprehensive "what does what" list is given in the instructions. Essential to success are the ring - hidden in the crypt - and the scroll, one of the few items whose location and purpose is not revealed before you start.

Old time Citadel players will remember the ghostly cloaked figures which needed a magic spell fired between the eyes to remove them from screen. Spooksville has these, or similar figures, in abundance.

In fact, there is one in every room except the starting screen and all need to be shot smartly in order to survive. A strange feature of your weapon is that you must be moving when you fire it.

Its range is short so don't fire till you see the red of their eyes. Tall monsters can't be destroyed by the standard technique - it is essential to find the correct object to dispose of them.

This is yet another budget game which has not been written well on the Electron. if you can imagine playing Citadel with your feet stuck in syrup then that's what you've got here. Mind you, things are changed out of all recognition if you own a Slogger Turbo Board. Then the game is almost too fast, but certainly playable.

I would strongly commend the original Citadel as a far more interesting game, but if you've completed that, Spooksville will do at a pinch.

This is another spin-off based on the highly successful Citadel. While not quite matching up to the original, it is nevertheless very enjoyable. If you like this sort of game then at only £2.99, it represents a bargain and will provide many hours of entertainment.

Rog Frost