Spectrum owners have enjoyed The Hobbit for some time and it has now been faithfully reproduced for the Oric.

For those familiar with other adventures, The Hobbit opens up totally new horizons. Interacting characters ensure that you will never be certain of what is going to happen next.

You are Bilbo, and your mission is to recover the Dwarves' treasure, hoarded by the dragon Smaug, and bring it back to your home.

Your progress depends on your decisions, but the best hints are to be found by careful reading of the book itself.

All the favourite characters appear on your screen, and pictorial representations of different scenes add to the realism.

Here I must mention the only significant criticism I can make and that is the irritating slowness in drawing some of the pictures.

You won't master the adventure for many weeks, but you can save the program at any stage.

The beauty of The Hobbit really lies in the interplay between the characters whether or not you are present. It is certainly a superb adventure. You will be captivated, elated, frustrated but never bored.

P.S.W.