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"Look at the size of that thing! It's destroying everything in its path!"

No, don't be so rude, they're not talking about Gordo but the big creature that has suddenly, and without warning, risen from the murky depths of the Pacific to prey on the lowly citizens of Japan.

The Muncher, originally titled T-Wrecks until they tied up the licence deal with Chewits' manufacturer Elizabeth Shaw Ltd, plonks you into the ominous role of a fifty-foot tall Tyrannosaurus Rex.

You're cold, you're wet and you're hungry. And what better than chomping on the loyal patrons of the Far East? Certainly a lot more filling than a packet of sweeties, probably. Mind you, sweets don't send out the armed forces to stop you in your tracks. These gadgis are well armed, and they don't want you around the place (although it would work wonders on the unemployment

Chomp! Chew! And all that stuff! I loved Rampage on the C64, so naturally I got stuck into this right away. It's only one player at a time, and the graphics are about ten times the size, but the theme is the same (Smash lots of buildings up and eat people).

Gremlin, in their ultimate wisdom, have also slotted some adventure elements in there too, in that you have to find and collect your eggs to succeed, an aspect which elongates the game's lastability somewhere where all the versions of Rampage let us down.

Along with the smash and crash sound effects and the little squeaks from the people being devoured, all these qualities combine to make The Muncher a violent but fun lesson in destruction.

I can't help but compare The Muncher to that other monster masher, Rampage, even though it looks almost nothing like it. The main sprite is a lot bigger than the little monsters in Activision's conversion and generally bigger graphics all round fill the scrolling landscapes.

The object, however, is exactly the same - smash up as much as you can in the way of brickwork and eat lots of people to keep your strength at tip-top peak. I like the extra idea of having to find objects, as that breaks what might otherwise become a monotonous game. It's not the most impressive game in the cosmos, having only four levels (all of which you can access at any time) but if you're a raving maniac with foam around your gums and hairy (or scaly) palms, you could do worse than give this a shot, Morris.

Don't ask me why Gremlin have tied up this game with the Chewits monster, as there isn't a single sweetie mentioned in it. Couldn't be a clever marketing plot, could it?

Who cares anyway when The Muncher is impressive enough not to need any hype. The main sprite is huge, at over half the screen tall. And he's pretty flighty despite that burden, keeping up with the best of the tanks, helicopters and innocent citizens (before eating them).

I wasn't too keen on the way that the buildings collapsed a layer at a time, but there you go. Sound effects add a humorous aspect to the whole affair, with pathetic little squeals emanating from the unlucky victims about to be scoffed.

The tune on the title screen could have been more atmospheric but, on the whole, this is a relatively funny romp, which should provide plenty of short-term enjoyment (as long as you're into smashing things up, that is!).

Presentation 70%
Tidy displays and concise menu screen.

Graphics 79%
Very large and surprisingly well-animated main sprite, which stands literally head and shoulders over the rather weedy backdrops.

Sound 62%
Effective sound effects compensate for the somewhat jaded title tune.

Hookability 77%
Instant violence on screen. Who could resist the temptation?

Lastability 65%
Although there is more to the game than just destruction, with only four levels, lasting qualities are limited.

Overall 71%
A nostalgic look at the old B-movie monster idea. Good fun.