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The aim of the budget arcade game Trapper is to trap monsters by pushing brick walls around to box them in and finally to squash them.

The title screen is typical of Blue Ribbon - simple and quick to load. There isn't a demonstration mode, so the game flicks between a list of control keys and a high score table.

On starting you are asked to input the difficulty level from one to six. This controls the monster's speed. One is slow and six is fast. I found the slowest speed quite fast enough for me.

The screen consists of a pile of bricks enclosed in a large box. Inside the box are you and a monster, which obviously considers you to be a rather tasty tit-bit. Fortunately, you are a strong chap and can push the bricks around quite easily. The monster can't push the bricks, nor can it pass through them.

So by pushing them round and piling them up you can eventually trap it (if you're lucky and can avoid it for long enough). Having done this, you then push a brick into it and squash it flat.

Screen two is pretty much the same as screen one, except that you now have two monsters to contend with - double trouble. The game now starts to get a bit hectic as you try to trap both. While you're concentrating on one, the other is sneaking up behind you.

Screen three brings three monsters and four brings four. The final two rooms only have four monsters, but another is born immediately you trap and squash one.

On top of all this, there is also a time limit. A clock in the top-right corner of the screen slowly ticks away. If it reaches zero before you've trapped and squashed all the monsters you die and lose a life.

Although the game has a very simple theme, it is difficult, frustrating and challenging enough to make it highly addictive. The devilish grin on the faces of the monsters is a nice touch and it all adds up to a fun game that doesn't cost the earth. This is recommended.

Roland Waddilove