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In a far distant corner of the Galaxy lie eight planets which make up the Hyturian system. Long protected by their cubic force shield, the Rubicon, peace has reigned over their peoples for many years.

That peace has now been shattered by the emergency of a ninth planet 'NONO', which has drifted into the Rubicon, carrying with it a hostile and aggressive race - the Star Thugs. A hero is sought to purge the system of the Star Thugs and thus bring peace once again.

A solo player takes the role of Hawkins, pilot of the legendary Starfox space fighter and champion of peace. The Starfox is a fully adaptable fighter, complete with state-of-the-art weaponry and guidance systems. The mission is viewed in first person 3D through the main cockpit display, with the control panel and rear scanner beneath.

The ship's current position in space is constantly displayed as a series of co-ordinates relating to Rubicon's interior X, Y and Z axes. A 'holographic projection' of the entire cube can be displayed, showing the spatial positions of the Starfox and planets within it, while the joystick turns it, allowing the ship's flight path to be altered to follow a direct path through the freshly rotated cube.

The Starfox's fuel and shields are constantly drained by attacking vessels, ice crystals and electron storms, but may be refuelled by visiting one of the motherships in orbit around each of the eight planets. The positions of these planets are initially unknown, but once a planet has been located (by flying through its local space), its co-ordinates are stored in a secondary log, allowing the pilot to relocate the planet easily through the autopilot. Engaging the autopilot guides the ship to the planet, but a worm hole, a long series of suspended frames, must be successfully negotiated before arriving in orbit. Hitting a frame when flying down the worm hole reduces shield energy. When the Starfox is safely through this defence system it is flown to within docking range of the mothership, to be automatically refuelled.

During the docking, the weapons system can be updated. A menu appears detailing equipment available, and if desired items may be added to the second and third weapons slots. Care must be exercised in weapon choice because some don't necessarily increase the ship's destructive power. Also, the more effective weapons are copied by the Star Thugs and used against Starfox on the next level.

The mission has eight stages, each with a specific goal, and Hawkins is under a time limit to complete them all. Destruction of 60 Star Thugs effectively ends the first mission and, once this is accomplished, the cockpit head-up display shows a level completed sign, whereupon the Starfox should be flown to the edge of the cube.

On hitting one of its faces, the sign changes to level two and the Starfox heads for the cube interior once more. The aim of the next level can be obtained from one of the Motherships, where a sheet appears describing the task ahead.

The ultimate aim of the mission is to actually locate the ninth planet NONO, in as short a time as possible, so that the Star Thugs may be dealt with directly.

I was pleasantly surprised by Starfox. The vector graphic ships so effectively used on other formats have been replaced here by a smart solid graphics routine which allows the action to whizz along at a fair pace.

It's very much like a speedy Elite, and can get hectic at times, with loads of alien craft criss-crossing in front of the screen.

The graphics are varied and the many effects are polished and unusual. There's a fair amount of variety in the gameplay, and the inclusion of specific missions really makes it a challenge for avid shoot-'em-up fans.

My only criticism is that, at times, there's little to do but fly around and hope to detect a planet, since to complete the game you need to find them all.

Still, I got through to the fourth level with few problems - and I was quite happy to keep going too.

Starfox should certainly appeal to those who enjoy exploring space and blasting enemy craft. I particularly liked the strategy of updating weapons - choose rong and those aliens can get real mean!

The holocube effect, though original, proved rather awkward when it came to exploring particular corners of the systems.

This aside, the action is exciting, with some fast and furious dogfights, and plenty of depth to keep you going for quite some time. If you fancy boldly going where no man has gone before and blasting hell out of what you find, try this - it's not half bad!

First impressions aren't all that favourable, but once you sit down and start playing, it's very easy to become totally engrossed with the action - especially when Starfox is in the middle of an enemy convoy and ships are swarming all around.

The 3D effect of the alien craft as they swing in and out of the screen is great, and the feeling generated as you fly through space is quite thrilling.

The main niggle is that the joystick control isn't 'pilot' style, but oddly enough, it's surprisingly easy to master.

Starfox is definitely the best Star Raiders-type game available on the C64, and requires more than just a quick trigger finger to complete.

Presentation 82%
Adequate documentation helped by plenty of on-screen information. Useful 'save to disk' option. It's a pity about the reversed pilot controls, but this is soon overcome.

Graphics 79%
Reasonably effective solid graphics combined with clever effects.

Sound 45%
Sparse sound effects throughout and an average title tune.

Hookability 78%
Rapid and addictive blasting action proves quite enthralling early on.

Lastability 79%
The eight mission scenarios should keep most people coming back for more - especially disk drive owners.

Overall 82%
Splendid space action with a good dose of strategy.