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With a title like The Superior Collection 3 you would expect a lot from a games compilation. Superior Software has yet again come up with the goods with a selection of *seven* of their best titles *plus* one previously unreleased game! The games are not only available in a double cassette pack but also on 3.5" disc. The disc is for use with the AP3, or AP4 with ADFS, and a 3.5" disc drive. The games in the set include the new release Syncron and oldies Repton 1 and 2, Karate Combat, Death Star, Mr Wiz, Smash And Grab and Overdrive.

The first impressive thing about Syncron is the excellent loading screen which is beautifully drawn. The game itself is dizzying in speed. Your objective is to complete sixteen missions. Each one involves the collection of power orbs and the destruction of the enemy's HQ. To collect orbs you fly over the surface of the planet and shoot pyramids which open to reveal an orb. The orb can then be flown over and picked up to be deposited later on a landing strip. All the time you have to avoid and shoot the enemy ships, missile silos and awkwardly placed barriers. When enough orbs have been collected the HQ can be bombed and destroyed allowing you to progress onto further missions.

As I mentioned before the game is fast, perhaps even a little too fast for my liking. The surface of the planet scrolls fast but not very cleanly. The sprites move at lightning speed but flicker a bit. The planet surface graphics are of a bas-relief style. The sprites are also defined in the same way. This gives a brilliant metallic look to everything. The speed of the game makes it truly exciting and annoyingly addictive. Later missions become very hard to complete and weeks of practice are going to be needed to complete the whole game. There is a facility to skip missions already completed so you can get straight to the more challenging ones. This game is worth £7.95 in itself and aprt from being just a fraction too fast I enjoyed playing it.

Repton is the classic maze game which involves collecting diamonds from under the ground. Hazards include falling rocks and killer reptiles that hatch from dislodged eggs. There are twelve levels to complete, each one being a challenge to your ingenuity. The game is addictive but simple which is always a winning combination. Repton 2 is the sequel to the above game with a much more involved and complicated objective. Many things have to be collected and a puzzle solved to complete this game. There are still the rocks and eggs but new dangers include roaming spirits, deadly skulls and falling meteors. Transporters are a feature which adds a new twist to the game. Playing this game takes a lot more practice and thought than the original one did. The graphics and scrolling have been improved but the game has lost some of its simplicity which made the original so appealing.

For martial arts fans there is Karate Combat. This bash-'em-up has options for one or two players and a practice mode. The game controls are complicated but with practice are easy to master. The graphics are large, well-defined and realistically animated. The computer opponents become harder and harder to beat and this makes the game very addictive. Selecting the two player option and challenging a friend is great fun.

Smash And Grab is a complicated platform and ladders game which has large colourful graphics. The object of the game is to collect bags of gold which are falling out of a broken shop window. The police are out in force trying to apprehend you for the crime and are trying to stop you from grabbing the loot. Other perils are flying police cones and dustbin lids (?). The game is not easy to play and requires lots of practice. It suffers from being too slow and uninteresting.

A similar game to Repton is Mr. Wiz. This is more a maze chase game. The object is, not surprisingly, to collect cherries. The evil Gremlines are chasing after you intent on murder. If the Gremlines really get on your nerves you can destroy them with a well aimed throw of your crystal ball. The game is fast and fun to play with plenty of action to test your wits. The graphics are cute and move smoothly. A tune plays merrily on each screen and sound effects are well used.

Death Star is a new twist to the run of the mill shoot-'em-up. This game entails you flying through enemy infested space mining for crystals. The crystals can be collected from planetoids which have been shot. The crystals, once collected, are turned into star bombs. The star bombs are in turn needed to destroy a Deathstar that is rapidly being constructed by working drones. When the Deathstar has been completed it comes to destroy you. To defend yourself you will need a good supply of star bombs. The game may be a little bit repetitive whilst collecting crystals but when the Deathstar is completed, things really hot up! This is an addictive and well written game.

The last program in the compilation is Overdrive, a car racing game. Gameplay is monotonous due to the road being just straight ahead with no turns. The object is to pass as many cars as possible in a given time limit. The controls are simple left and right movement with accellerate and brake. Even with first different stages this game gets boring quite quickly. The graphics are well defined and the sound is used appropriately, pity about the gameplay though!

To miss this collection of games is utter foolishness. Even if you have most of the games it is still worthwhile buying just to get Syncron!

Matthew Fifield