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If you've ever wondered what it would be like to fly one of the world's best combat planes then take a look at Strike Force Harrier. Mirrorsoft would probably agree that it's not quite as good as the real thing, but then it's about five million pounds cheaper!

The display is quite impressive, with excellent graphics. Your instruments cover the lower half of the screen and consist of a map and radar, thrust and fuel gauges and the status of the undercarriage, flaps and brakes.

The windscreen covers the top half of the screen. This is where the action takes place. Through it you can see the ground, horizon, sky and clouds, plus a few more instruments.

Flying the Harrier is fairly easy. Within ten minutes I was looping the loop and doing barrel rolls. This is only a small part of the game though. The place is armed with bombs, missiles and cannons to defend yourself from surface to air missiles, anti-aircraft fire and enemy aircraft (MIG 23s).

Your mission is to destroy the enemy HQ 500 miles from your starting position. This is achieved by blasting enemy tanks on the ground with your cannons and bombs.

A ground site can then be set up and your own forces moved up by an airborne drop at a speed of around 600 knots. Each new base needs defending from tanks as you attempt to set up the next.

Strike Force Harrier is more than a single flight simulator, it's a battlefield simulator. It requires a knowledge of ground attack techniques and skill in air to air combat. The 27-page manual supplied describes these tactics in details, along with an outline of your mission and tips on flying.

There are several different levels of difficulty, including a practice mode in which you aren't attacked.

After a bit of practice you can try your hand at combat. Far from easy this - it takes a long time to master. If you're after something more than a flight simulator then Harrier is well worth considering.

The addition of ground and air combat makes this one of the best games of its type on the Electron.

Roland Waddilove