No, I'm not going mad; I'm perfectly aware that I reviewed this game several months ago. But this is a "new, improved" version, and very welcome it is too.

Why? Because one of the main faults I moaned about in my review has been corrected, namely the unprofessional presentation. The garish colour, over-long pauses and mindless beeping have all been removed; now we have a very readable redesigned font and polished appearance.

The good points I commended remain: the scenario is reasonably original and the problems you face are varied and unusual. Description is atmospheric, lengthy and impressive, and there is a pleasantly off-beat sense of humour.

The game still has a few faults. Although the vocabulary is friendlier than many games I review, at points it is nonetheless a bit limited, and pedantic about word combinations. I would have liked it to be more responsive at points. The program also repeats messages after every move when in certain locations which is poor use of The Quill.

These are relatively minor points though. Time Of The End has raised its status from sadly flawed amateur effort to a worthy product, particularly at what is basically a budget price. Definitely worth considering if you have a few pounds to spare, it's available mail order only from 14, Langton Close, Woking, Surrey GU21 3QJ. Mandarin is a new company that certainly shows promise and their next release, The Bottomless Pit, sounds most intriguing. And of course, they come from my home town, a definite advantage...