It's been a long wait for the conversion of this game, which is all about the problems faced by Britain's bin men. It involves a never-ending battle against the hazards that lie in wait in what at first seems to be a quiet suburban street.

Initially you're set the task of emptying five bins in a single street before the bonus time limit runs out. The screen shows a vertical roadway with detached houses on either side. Each house has a gate and a path, on which is placed a dustbin waiting to be emptied. You control a little stick-man bin-man who has to get the bin and empty it into the back of the waste lorry that slowly makes its way up the left hand side of the road.

After emptying, each bin has to be put back in place before moving onto the next one. Bins have to be collected from the houses on both sides of the road, and the ones on the right hand side are particularly hazardous because you have to brave the dangers of the traffic. You can even be killed by your own waste lorry if you're not careful.

Each house is drawn in pseudo 3D with gardens, garages and hedges, and if you avoid trampling on anything the householder appears at the door as you're leaving. If you pop in through the front door, you'll get extra bonus time and a very old and corny joke. If you stray onto the grass at some houses, a dog comes out and bites you, causing you to limp. This makes you travel slower, as does carrying a laden bin as opposed to an empty one. Other dangers include bicycles that race down the footpaths and can also slow you down if they hit down.

If you successfully get all the bins emptied then you have to tackle another street with more bins and more hazards: bins are placed in more awkward places, bikes and dogs appear more frequently, cars travel nearer the edge of the road and grass verges appear on the footpaths.

The graphics look quite good although the 3D is very unconvincing, and better use could have been made of the Amstrad's colour. The gameplay is quite addictive, with what is still a novel and original task. It's a shame the game wasn't converted sooner, but now it's here it's certainly worth a look.

Very simple and quite old, but it's nicely done. The time limit's quite tough, and those dogs'll drive you up the wall. Nothing to get excited about, I'll admit, but quite fun.

A nice gentle game that's not too complicated and not too taxing. Shame the jokes are so corny though.

10,000.

P. Still a novel and original game. P. Requires concentration and skill. P. Nice sense of humour (despite corny jokes). P. Well thought out and implemented.

N. Showing its age a little. N. One careless step under a car can suddenly end a game.

Bob Wade