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Strange things are afoot in a dark and slimy castle... Down in its dungeon there lurks a large blue creature called Berk, a poor underpaid and overworked minion whose life consists of performing every tedious task his tireless master demands. To make matters worse, the poor chap is shut away in the very lowest vaults of the smelly and dank dungeons. The grimy kitchen is coated with many years of wear and tear. Slime grows from the wall and, well, it's just generally unpleasant.

Berk's master is holding a banquet this very night but nothing has been prepared for the celebration. So, Berk must race round the kitchens making meals from whatever can be found lying around. Berk is very house-proud and doesn't like to see the castle in an untidy state. Unfortunately, all his little minion friends insist on making a mess and getting everything disorganised. The main problem is Drukk, a small yellow creature who has a passion for purple worms which, unfortunately, your master has also taken a liking to.

A large trapdoor lies in the centre of the starting screen and can be opened and closed by a small lever. The trapdoor leads to the very depths of Berk Towers where all kinds of underworld nasties lurk. It also acts as a larder in which all manner of succulent beasties reside. Whenever Berk opens the trapdoor there is no knowing what may emerge. It's worth being nifty with the controls in case a ghost decides to announce itself, as it can only be disposed of by feeding it one of your precious worms. There's also a mean old flame-thrower which will insist on burning Berk to a smouldering crisp if it isn't lured back down into the trapdoor in time.

While Berk desperately tries to organise the castle meals, his Master relaxes in the Towers, getting fat on such delicacies as boiled Slimies. He shouts down his order for a particular meal in a resounding bellow and it is then up to Berk to prepare it.

On the far right hand side of the screen there is a temper meter. If the nasty Master is happy with Berk's work, then it stays at a low and happy level. But if he is kept waiting, the temper meter rises until it hits the angry meter at the top and the Master changes his mind and orders a totally different meal.

Assorted utensils are scattered around the kitchens which prove very useful for cooking and catching ingredients, but do remember to check everything as some pots are stacked inside others. If Berk loses an object that might be vital to complete a task, then it is really quite pointless to carry on. The only way out is to throw himself down the trapdoor and end his miserable life. But there is no pride in suicide, and the unsympathetic Boss shouts down: "YOU SILLY SUICIDAL LITTLE BERK!"

If Berk completes all his chores by the end of the week, then his boss will be reasonably happy and send down his wages. Unfortunately, the money is locked up in a fortified safe, so Berk will have to work out bow to open it before he can have a wild night on the town with his fellow Berks.

The Trap Door is one of those instantly appealing games which you really enjoy playing for a couple of games. The main character, Berk, is really something else in the way he moves about the place - he's beautifully animated and is the most appealing 'cuts' character to appear on the C64 since Gribbly Grobbly. The other characters are really neat too, big, colourful and well animated.

However, there is one big problem and that's playability. After a couple of games I was bored of doing the same thing time after time. If you're into fast action games then avoid it, but if you like puzzle games played at a leisurely pace then Trap Door is worth your votes.

Graphically, The Trap Door is exquisite. All the characters are beautifully drawn and move smoothly (Berk is incredibly cute and well animated) and the backdrops are simple but very effective. As for the game itself OK, so The Trap Door doesn't boast a huge number of locations and there are only five problems to overcome.

But it's the quality of the puzzles that counts in this game, not the quantity. The tasks are so involved and such fun to complete that they make The Trap Door worthwhile, especially at the price. And that's why it deserves to be a huge hit.

The Trap Door is one of my favourite games at the moment, it has everything an arcade adventurer could wish for great puzzles, super graphics (especially on the main character of Berk himself) and it's absolutely packed with humour. The great thing about The Trap Door is that it is very consistent, there appears to be no part of the game that is lacking, it's all there and it's all superb.

If you miss this game, then you'll have missed one of the most magnificent puzzle games ever devised.

Presentation 93%
Attractive in every way.

Graphics 97%
Suitable backdrops and large, extremely well-drawn and animated characters.

Sound 64%
Weak title screen tune and a few reasonable spot effects.

Hookability 96%
Instantly appealing and addictive.

Lastability 85%
Five tough tasks which are fun to complete.

Value For Money 91%
A quality game at a sensible price.

Overall 89%
A highly novel and playable arcade adventure.