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Eighteen pages of informative text set the scene for this imaginative arcade adventure, reminding readers of the medieval origins of carnivals. Many of the various sideshows have mystical aspects, something which films from Big to Something Wicked This Way Comes exploit. Now you've inherited one such entertainment palace, but don't celebrate yet. You were bequeathed it by a mad grandfather and, for the sake of both your sanity and future profits, you must face up to the spirits that haunt it. In fact, there are eight demons to be found...

The game begins with you at a monorail station in Yesterday Land where there are three machines from the early 1900s. A fortune-telling machine, a bagatelle and a grabber must be exploited to provide a train ticket.

Once you have a ticket, you can board a train for the three other lands, or games. These must be completed in order, so first you must get off at Dragon Land. This is a platform arcade/adventure where you're transformed into a barbarian who must battle stone apes, ghosts and pigeons! Collecting a dream potion will allow you to go to Dream Land, but there's also five cogs to fix the dragon ride - taking you to four variations on the Dragon Land theme.

Dream Land is a multi-directionally scrolling, overhead-view arcade adventure. You start off on a chess board with various pieces dotted around. Bumping into them reveals boxes which can be opened by keys. Inside, there are such things as oil cans (to use on deadly eyeballs!), ladders (to cross gaps) and the demons you need to collect to finish the level. As well as lethal eyeballs, lips and beetles, there's a snowfield to cross, complete wth snowball-throwing snowmen.

The next level is Future Land, a first-person perspective view of a ride up (and down!) a futuristic rollercoaster. You defend yourself with a laser-armed grabber which can collect demons and the debris of destroyed ships.

My favourite part of this game is the antique amusement machine line-up - now I know what the 'exciting new machines' will be at the next Ludlow funfair. The rest of the game is an interesting mix of weird sub-games.

The Dragon Land level is fairly straightforward and probably the most fun. The more ambitious and innovative later levels aren't quite as playable. Having said that, the game's whole is greater than the sum of its parts with the surreally sinister graphics and good sound effects giving it a good spooky atmosphere.

The fortune teller is a particularly impressive start. If you like the carnival theme, you'll enjoy it, but I don't think it's quite good enough to be a big mainstream hit. More of a cult game, in my opinion, for those who fancy something a bit different.

To their credit, Mirrorsoft seem to specialize in promoting off-beat 16-bit games such as Gravity, Interphase and now this. There's little info on the game itself in the packaging, and even with programmers' hints it's a bit difficult to immediately get into.

Nevertheless, the urge to see all the different game-types is inevitably compulsive, and the actual games are good fun from the bagatelle to the above-average arcade-adventures in Dragon Land and Dream Land. It's also good how you can choose either to explore Dragon Land more fully, or just grab the Dream Potion and hop onto one of the later levels.

The final rollercoaster shoot-'em-up is okay as well. As a package, the game works well, with plenty of imagination and attention to detail. I enjoyed the first section best, and while nothing is outstanding here, this is well worth a look.

Presentation 72%
Interesting manual, poster, attractive start-up sequence which can be bypassed.

Graphics 70%
Nothing amazing, but the quality is generally very good throughout, imaginative and atmospheric

Sound 61%
Good sampled spot FX

Hookability 74%
A bit confusing to begin with, but the urge to see later levels is strong

Lastability 77%
Good sub games are nicely linked with some interesting arcade adventures

Overall 76%
An entertaining package of sub-games