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Oh no, not another military takeover bid. Honestly, there's more coups (geddit?) round here than at a pigeon-fancier's club (Mind you, who's going to admit to fancying pigeons? Erm, sorry!). Strange thing is, they've decided to attack by boat this time. Must be getting a bit boring, running up and down beaches all the time, and the sand gets everywhere, in your socks, down your shirts, in your underpants...

Mind you, we're not exactly overflowing with water-based defense craft around these parts. As a matter of fact, we've only got one boat, and that's only got depth-charges for weaponry. Still, I suppose we'll have to make the best of a bad situation, eh?

Worried yet? You soon will be. The Deep has you alone, in the middle of the ocean, battling against innumerable odds, with an old boat for transport and a supply of depth-charges for protection.

The game takes place over four stages. The first section has you collecting tokens from the seabed, whilst warding off the submarining sea-devils with your depth charges, while the next two levels consist of blowing up large, underwater vessels. Stage four is a bonus stage, where you have to assist in the evacuation of refugees via a Missile Command type of game.

Completion of all four levels moves you back to a more difficult first level, where you can blow up more and more baddies. What more could a butterman want?

Deary me... oh, sorry, you want me to say something more? Well, actually, there's not much more I can say. Except perhaps that the graphics aren't very good, the sound is non-existent (apart from a rubbishy depth-charge explosion effect) and the game is ridiculously easy except at the times when you can't see where you're going because the screen is too dazzling!

I wonder what made them decide to convert this? I don't know. But The Deep still isn't that good.

Quick! Someone get me a sick bag! And so, it's not because of the startling realism of being in charge of a heavily armoured hydrofoil ship, battling against the might of an entire milirary waterborne assault party, intent on cutting short your little cruise on the high seas.

No! It's because The Deep is awful! No corner has been cut, no stone left unturned, in the quest to produce one of the tackiest shoot-'em-ups ever! The graphics range from mediocre to defying-definition. From playing the game to writing the review, I've been wondering how - just how can a big, purple pancake blow up a ship?

Well, that's exactly what one of the sprites looks like. And while this is going on, all you can hear is a pathetic explosion. Life on the ocean waves, eh? I'd rather shiver me timbers.

Presentation 54%
Less than in-depth manual and average front end.

Graphics 32%
Flat cardboard sprites, some with very strange shapes, on gaudy, badly drawn backdrops.

Sound 13%
Nothing, apart from an explosion effect... and that's not up to much.

Hookability 34%
Tacky graphics excite little interest even from the start.

Lastability 23%
If you've played a couple of games you won't want to play any more.

Overall 38%
A very obscure arcade conversion it might have been better to leave alone.