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Could you cope with a magical mystery tour of pyramids, ruins, alien desert landscapes - even time itself and play pinball at the same time? With Timescanner on your CPC, it's just a walk in the park as four different tables, two screens high, await you in your very own arcade.

Now pinball on a computer sounds a bit lame. Tell the truth, it sounds very lame as a game concept. Surely pinball died a natural death years ago when Space Invaders burst onto the scene? Wrong! It's back with a vengeance, and will have you beating your keyboard into submission for hours to come.

The game opens with the Volcano, an ordinary-looking everyday pinball table, but all is not what it seems... You fire your first ball into play. Flippers at the ready, it's a waiting game as your ball ricochets around the pins and bumpers. Lights flash as your score starts to build up. You notice that when certain pins go down, the bumpers score more points and a strategy starts to evolve.

The speed is a bit daunting at first; you just don't expect a computer game ball to move so sharpish. Flexing flippers, a feel soon develops for the way to get the ball where you want it, when you want it there. Eventually, a mistake is inevitable and the ball trickles past your guard. Yet the ball is not dead! The screen scrolls down to reveal the bottom half of the table. Again all the trimmings are there, but this time there are also clear tubes that provide access back up to the top part of the screen.

Firing a ball up from the bottom half also triggers one of the many bonus features, and the word volcano starts to light up. When the word is complete, an eruption occurs, and to your surprise out-shoot not one, not two but three balls for simultaneous play. This is supposed to be to your advantage (who are they trying to fool?). One ball is bad enough, three over the top: you just can't concentrate on three places at once and the flippers take a bashing as you desperately try to keep every ball in play.

Other such tasks must be completed, apart from notching up a gargantuan score, before you can shoot for the "time tunnel" and get transported to the next table. Saqqara is next - a deserted, desolate table with fewer pins and more traps. Shooting the ball back up to the top of the table here is nigh on impossible, while keeping up there in the first place is even more troublesome.

After Saqqara comes the ruins table - possibly the best - and here things really start to get out of hand. One feature starts to collect your balls and display them, in the lower section. This just looks showy, until the 'Xtra ball' feature lights up. Suddenly, all your collected spheres smash their glass casing and once again there are multiple balls shooting around in play. Survive this baby and if your nerves are not too shot or fingers too sore it's special level time.

The final level of Timescanner features a Breakout-style game, so as well as scoring oodles of points you've now got to wipe out blocks as well. This once and for all kills any idea that pinball is a simple game, for in Timescanner technique and feel in the way you play are everything. Understanding of how the ball rolls and bounces is vital to employ the tilt feature to full effect. - Yup, you heard right, the game is designed to incorporate a simulation the thumps desperately administered to real tables to stop the ball going out of play. Press the right key at the right time and the whole screen shakes as you tilt the table to encourage that tiny motion that will save the day.

Timescanner is a simple concept laced with an unexpected level of complex game strategy - the goals soon become clear, while achieving them requires the deftest of touches. The situation is made even more fun with the cranked up pace and myriad methods of scoring. It won't take much time to see all the levels, but that's not the point. With pinball, it's scoring more points than anyone else ever in the history of history itself that matters. Let's roll...!

This game has no right to be so good. I mean, pinball? Come on, you guys!

Yet Timescanner has that elusive something that drags you back for more, just when you'd decided to switch off. Trent's got the high score - 1,208,400 at last count - but I'm only a couple of hundred thou behind.

Aargh! He's just beaten his own record. 'Scuse me, catch you later...

200,000 points.

No hassle.

Graphics 84%
P. Smooth fast balls.
P. Big playing area.

Sonics 89%
P. Authentic effects build atmosphere.

Grab Factor 86%
P. Instant addiction.
P. Impressive audio-visuals.

Staying Power 84%
P. The real challenge is to get to the top of the hi-score table - like real pinball.
N. Are four tables enough?

Overall 83%
Great game for veterans and novices alike.