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Hot on the heels of the new James Bond film The Living Daylights is the computer game of the same name. It was with some trepidation that I loaded up the game - I still have nightmares about View To A Kill.

The game follows the exploits of James Bond as he fights his way through eight separate scenes from the film. These are stored as three files on the flip side of the cassette. Each scene consists of a series of adjoining screens - these are traversed by running from left to right. You have control of Bond's gun sight - when it is on the screen Bond can shoot, move it off the right hand edge and Bond will run. Episode number one takes place in Gibraltar. You are involved in a mock battle with members ofthe S.A.S. - they pop up from behind bushes at regular intervals, but have very little to do with the game.

Keep running until you meet up with the KGB agent... then kill him. I had major problems at this point - the Ruski just wouldn't die. In desperation I decided to read the instructions - and found I'd been running around with a gun which fired paint pellets! A quick visit to the armoury soon rectified the situation and the Ruski bit the dust.

With the completion of each scene you are given the opportunity to choose a special weapon from Q's workshop. Only one of the four on offer will be of use in the next scene. Scene two involves running down a street while avoiding bombs dropped from a helicopter. The bombs are easy to dodge but the resultant craters are a hazard and must be jumped. The best way to do this is to hold down the jump key continuously - Bond skips merrily down the street, leaping all obstacles.

Running and jumping is the order of the day again in scene three. Race through the factory amid a shower of falling pipework, while at the same time hurdling numerous barriers. It's during sections like this that you notice how little control you have over Mr. Bond. Trying to stop short of a falling pipe is nearly impossible - even when you've released the movement key, he still takes two more steps!

Once file number two has loaded you are ready to play scene four, The Mansion. This is one of the trickier levels, a mixture of running, ducking and shooting is required if you're to survive intact. The enemy agents are disguised as milkmen and armed with exploding pintas.

The fairground is the setting for scene five. Innocent looking toy balloons cause Bond a major headache - quick and accurate shooting is essential.

I never completed the remaining three screens, more through lack of enthusiasm than lack of skill. The mediocre graphics and animation are matched only by the boring, repetitive, gameplay - it looks like the nightmares will continue.

Carol Barrow