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Hi there, my name is Ashly. I have a terrible story to tell you. It's about this computer game, see. It's the first of a series of releases from Palace Software, based on famous - and infamous - movies. In The Evil Dead, I take the leading role and obey your joystick's every command. Gazing down on me from above, you must guide me about the small shack in which I'm staying with my four friends, Cheryl, Linda, Scott and Shelly.

We are having a bit of a problem with supernatural forces. Nothing serious, you understand, just that this thing keeps dropping in for a visit and turning my buddies into horrible green mutants.

This is just the excuse I've been waiting for to pick up an axe, or a sword, or whatever happens to be lying around, and chop my pals into little pieces.

But wait! What are those things scurrying towards me? Oh no! It's little bits of Cheryl and Linda, and those are...ugh Scott's legs... oooerghhh!!

Well, that's enough of that. Before you write off to Mary Whitehouse, I have to tell you that The Evil Dead isn't nearly as evil as it sounds. The graphics aren't at all disgusting, the idea of the game is considerably less obnoxious than Space Invaders, and there is no more blood and guts than in Galaxians.

The display shows the layout of a small house. Only a part of the house is visible on-screen, and the picture scrolls appropriately if you move to the edge of the display.

When the game starts you can rush round closing all the doors and windows to stop the Evil Force entering the house. At least that's what the blurb advises you to do, but I found it pretty ineffective. Both windows and doors are soon blown open again, and a rather indistinct graphics shape nips inside and mutates your buddies. You can however open and close doors between rooms at any time during play, which is sometimes tactically desirable.

Points are scored by zapping the mutants and their activated limbs. Score enough points and, so the blurb says, a book will appear which you must throw into the fire to destroy the Curse.

You lose a life every time your energy count reaches zero. Movement and contact with the opposition both drain your energy by varying amounts.

The main problem with this game is one of control. The responses of the little figure aren't exactly razor-sharp, and getting him through doorways and round objects in a hurry takes practice.

The Mary Whitehouses of this world can breathe a sigh of relief. The rest of us can get on with the serious business of playing a game that is of above-average quality but still, perhaps, a little disappointing.