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Spy hunter? Smiley would turn in his grave. The hero of this game is a cross between James Bond in Casino Royale and that character in Death Race 2000 whose main aim in life is to run everyone else off the road, as violently as possible.

Because that's what Spy Hunter is all about. A van rolls up and disgorges your ultra-equipped turbo-charged spy mobile. You evidently haven't been very subtle in whatever investigations you've been conducting, because all the enemy's master spies are out to get you.

With a screech of scorched rubber you're off, controlling your car via joystick or keyboard, choosing your own speed. The road unrolls before you, but careful, it's icy in places. An enemy appears, and must be dodged or obliterated - it might be the Road Lord, Switchblade, Barrel Dumper, The Enforcer, Doctor Torpedo. On the other hand, it might be a civilian vehicle, so watch that itchy trigger finger...

Your only weapon at the start is a machine gun, but as the game goes on the weapons van (surely with Q at the wheel?) shows up from time to time to equip you with more gadgets like an oil squirter, a smokescreen, and anti-copter rockets. This happens to the accompaniment of a tune which is based, loosely, on the classic James Bond theme.

In best Bond tradition, your car can even turn into a hydrofoil, which gives you the chance to confront a whole new set of villains and obstacles on water.

It's an amusing variation on the old arcade zap-'em theme, but that's basically all it is. Though, personally, I would buy it for that theme tune alone.