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When I received this game from a virtually unknown software house, I didn't expect too much. After all, with a title like Perils of Percival Penguin and a picture of a penguin on the inlay card, what could this game be but another of those ubiquitous "Pengo-type" games? Well, how wrong I was.

In fact, this is a platform and ladders game. Rather than the more usual Miner, you control a father penguin who must go in search of food and make his way towards the sea. Unfortunately, there are many hazards. The treacherous ice fields are littered with deep crevasses and patrolled by hungry leopard seals and antarctic Skuas. Not only that, the South American Government bent on developing its own Atomic Bomb has dumped tons of radioactive waste down the crevasses.

The graphics are very nice in this game. The way in which your little penguin hops about is delightful to watch and the way in which the various creatures are animated is very impressive. Also, sound is used to very good effect and the overall presentation is very high.

A nice feature is the variable volume control (rather than the usual on/off) facility. It's a shame that the almost obligatory hall of fame and some standard games features such as freeze and quit game options were missed out, but that does not detract from what is otherwise a very addictive game.

Shingo Sugiura