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Tempest is a fast moving arcade-type game. The object is to survive for as long as ppossible against a variety of aliens. There are five different types of alien which attack your ship from left to right across the screen: some fire missiles and others asers. The lasers of the Liner aliens are particularly difficult to avoid and cannot be shot down. You aim for a maximum number of points and have five lives.

Once you have successfully defended a sector on the left of the screen for a preset time, the aliens gradually did out and you start moving to the right. To complete the sector you must reach the right side of the screen avoiding the 'spikes'. If things get too difficult then you can destroy everything on screen with your 'superzapper' but you only have one per sector and although it saves your life, it doesn't score any points.

There are five levels of play and I found even the easiest level difficult; mainly because the Liners' lasers invariably destroy you once they start to home-in on your ship. However, the action in Tempest is fast and smooth and the game performs well. At £4.95, it is a reasonable buy.