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This may sound sacrilegious but I've never really understood what all the fuss over Thrust is all about. There's no doubt that this throwback to the days of vector graphics and Asteroids/Scramble/Lunar Lander type games is good value for money.

Maybe now the Spectrum version is out we can take a considered look at the product which has done so well on the C64 and Beeb.

First up you can only play this version using the keyboard - and like all keyboard-only games you need to be an octopus to keep everything under control.

And maybe my reactions are going and I shouldn't even touch this sort of game, but I found the Thrust ship as manoeuvrable as an elephant on ice skates.

The idea is simple enough. You have to fly your craft down caverns, blasting at gun emplacements, in order to pick up a fuel pod and zap pack into the stars carrying your cargo - and a bunch of bonus points behind you.

The caverns get progressively more difficult as you go through the game - and if you get really good you have to cope with reverse gravity.

Early excursions will prove frustratingly fruitless until you get to grips with the controls. And maybe by then you'll be so fed up with the sight of your craft smashing into the scenery you won't care too much if you manage to get a fuel pod or not.

Thrust is a game for keyboard experts and people willing to spend a lot of time getting nowhere fast. I'm not one of them, I'm afraid.