The Young Ones are out to create havoc in this crying, talking, sleeping, walking, living game

The Young Ones

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The scene is a dirty hovel somewhere in Britain. A cool person is transfixed by a flickering TV screen.

- Hey Rik, look at this. We're on the telly!
- Oh great! How decadently bourgeoise, Neil!
- What? Is there someone at the door? Oh no! That's me and there's someone else in my body. That's too heavy for me, I'm going to meditate a complaint to my spirit guide.
- Oh go away, you soppy hippy. Mike, where's Vivian?
- He's upstairs, reading up on a few old saws.
- You mean fascist things like a penny saved is a penny earned?
- No, I mean hacksaws, buzz saws, chain saws...
- Vivian! We're on the telly!
- Well, get off, you'll break it! That's my job.

Crrraaashsh!

It's a pity Viv is so violent. If he's waited a few moments he'd have been able to play Orpheus' latest offering The Young Ones. You've seen the programme, been sick on the record and now you can play the game.

The lads have decided to move out of their house and you can join in the chaos by becoming one of them.

At the start of the game, you choose your character from the four who appear on the screen. Rik is the people's poet, a wet sociologist. Mike is the cool person and womaniser. Neil is a hippy, vegetarian and pacifist. Vivian is a punk, violent and totally irresponsible.

The personality of the character affects the way you have to play the game. For example, Neil is a dreamer and moves more slowly than the others but Viv tends to whizz around. Whoever you play, the idea is to collect all of the things which relate to your Young One's personality. The objects are scattered about the house in an anarchic manner which would appeal to Rik's political leanings. Some of the objects are fairly mundane but others are definitely weird. Amongst the kettles, video recorders and guitar cases are chain saws, bogies and dead rats.

Each person can only carry a few things at a time until he finds a suitable receptacle to put them in. For Viv, this would be a black bin bag and for Neil a guitar case.

The first person to collect all of his belongings wins the game. This would be easy except for the fact that any of their chattels can be hidden in beds, the fridge, the cassette recorder or any other openable object. Certain objects rely on the possession of others before they can be picked up. The grave cannot be opened without the spade, for instance.

Inside the wardrobe in the hall is the entrance to Narnia but, unless you possess the correct item, access to this make-believe world is impossible. Other locations outside the house include the launderette and the shop.

Control of your character is via a menu at the top right of the screen. Usually three options are available: action, talk and walk.

Action allows you to do something with one of the objects. This may simply involve picking it up or could give other possibilities like switching it on or opening it up. All of the objects in the room or carried by you are listed along the top of the screen as soon as you select the action option and you simply choose the object you want to use from this list.

Talk can give you clues to the items your character needs. All of the character needs are incessant chatterers indicated by speech balloons appearing from their mouths. Some of the words are not very nice and in one game I played the same swear word appeared on the screen three times in succession. The games market is aimed at young people and many will buy this game on the strength of the hit record 'Living Doll' and I see no necessity for trying to maintain the swearing aspect of the TV series by using language which would make Cliff Richard blush.

While I'm up on my soapbox, why include a lit joint as one of the objects? Surely games dealing with these kinds of subjects should carry some sort of warning on the box?

Walk allows your character to move to an adjoining room. Tactics are essential to successfully collect and hide items which you know the other characters are looking for, but be careful, they may get their own back!

All things considered, this is a good game, but marred by its dubious taste in certain areas. Fans of the TV series will love it and have a distinct advantage over those who have never seen it before.