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Every now and then, a new idea on an old theme pays off. This time it's Toadrunner from Ariolasoft. This game is your sort of "Wally come Sabre Wulf" type and I think it may be set to become a classic.

The aim of the game is to... wait for it... find the princess and then who knows what you might receive! But first you must find the Stone-master, and kill him. Classic scenario, eh?

Your character is, of course, the hero, a big toad who is quite intelligent - I think he may have been a prince once.

You must use objects found around various screen to solve lots of diabolically devious and logical puzzles. Great stuff!

When you start off you find yourself in a room with a rather nasty looking sort, making strange vacuum type noises. You must first sort out how you are going to get past him, and then you notice a lighter which he appears to be standing on.

So what do you do? Well, if you remove the lighter, it's fairly easy, the guy will move down away from the exit allowing you to pass. Simple. You then find yourself faced with a problem of multi-exits, one of which is safe, the others deadly.

One feature which makes the game a little difficult is the thief, a sly type who goes around pinching objects. But as with all nasty types, he's a bit dim and will drop whatever he is carrying to pick up something else. You can kill him, but if he is carrying a vital object you may not be able to complete the game, so keep an eye on him.

As with most games you have lives and Toadrunner is no exception. You have a jar of energy which runs down a little every time you hit something horrible.