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It's rarely that we run a second review of any adventure, but The Pawn has made such an impact, that it's worth having a closer look at it in its C64 format, newly released. Considering Pawn started off life in text on the QL, then progressed with graphics to the Atari ST and Amiga, it is amazing how closely to the 16-bit versions this first 8-bit Pawn compares.

The graphics perform in the same 'roller blind' fashion. On entry to a new location, the picture automatically slides down from the top, covering up the screenful of text already there. Move elsewhere, and up it goes, revealing the text.

Manual control of the picture, with no mouse available, is achieved through the Commodore's function keys, each depression of which moves it up or down by two lines of text.

The graphics are as near a copy of the originals as it is possible to get on the Commodore, and certainly better than anything I've seen in a C64 adventure before. But they do lack some of the fine detail and range of colour, present on the Amiga and Atari versions.

There is an optional cameo, a miniaturised version of the main picture, which slides in diagonally from the top right hand corner of the screen. This feature, too, is controlled by a function key, and the cameo is displayed on second and subsequent visits to a given location.

This gives a much quicker response, and a quick glance serves to illustrate the player's whereabouts without the necessity of having to wade through a lot of text.

An unusual feature of the package is that not only is it copyable, but the purchaser is strongly recommended to make a backup copy at the outset - there's even a copy utility included on one of the disks, that will do the job.

The Atari ST version is the only one to have copy protection, and because of this, it is a slightly different game. The 60 page novella that is included in the package is the key to avoiding piracy. All copyable versions of the game ask the player a detailed question about the story in the novella, from time to time.

Roddy Pratt, the Magnetic Scrolls programmer who was responsible for the C64 conversion, told me that this was already proving effective.

The Pawn is set in Kerovnia, where you find yourself wearing a wristband that you cannot remove. To get it off, and thus complete the game, involves you in a series of highly interlocked puzzles, laced with mischievous sense of humour.

At the start, the problems are reasonably gentle, but the going gets progressively more difficult beyond about 100 points of the 350 maximum.

With the Apple II (£19.95), Macintosh (£24.95) and C128 (£19.95) already around, yet more releases are in the pipeline.

About now you should be seeing The Pawn on Amstrad 6128 (£24.95), Amstrad PCW 8256 (£24.95) and Atari 800/130 (£19.95); and there will be an IBM version (£24.95) available in December.

If you are a keen adventurer, The Pawn is a must; if you merely enjoy adventure games, you'll find few to beat The Pawn. If you hate adventure games, playing The Pawn could mark the turning point in your life - your conversion into an adventure addict!