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In the beginning there was Dizzy. For those of you not acquainted with the little chappie (where were you when we featured him on our cover cassette just a few short months ago in AA37?), Dizzy is the Oliver twins' egg-shaped character who bounces around with a stupid grin on his face, getting himself into trouble all the time and generally finding life rather too much to cope with. (Just think of Pat McDonald and you won't be far wrong!)

Anyway, as I said before there was Dizzy: and now there is Treasure Island Dizzy. We're promised - or threatened with might be a better phrase - a whole string of sequels: Dizzy - The Yolk's On Us, Dizzy - Eggcentric Millionaire and dozens of others (a tenner for the best Top Ten Rotten Egg Puns at the usual address).

If you bought Dizzy, or you read our Codemasters profile in AA36 or you played the AA Special Edition you'll know already what to expect. It's a sideways, scrolling flick-screen game, with Dizzy bouncing or walking along and confronting various obstacles and difficulties. Your first problem, for instance, is how to get an egg-cit off the beach. and neither of the two options available to you seem very hopeful. On your right is the sea - and, as the instructions point out, "everyone knows that eggs are air-breathers" (Oh really?). But if you jog or bounce leftwards, you come to a cliff (that's enough mincepies and wine - Ed). The solution would seem to involve that empty wooden chest you see over there... I shall say no more, except that anyone who can stand on their chest must be a contortionist. Still, it's a step in the right direction.

Having solved that one, you amble along nicely for a while, collecting tubes of toothpaste, clumps of mushrooms and copies of Sinclair Abuser (surely that can't be of any use, can it? The joke, by the way, is an Oliver twins complaint about what happened when Dizzy visited Sinclair User and had the stuffing knocked out of him - literally!)

As usual there's the traditional Oliver twins voice-synthesized phrase at the beginning of the game. For a change it's crystal clear, and you can distinctly hear the phrase. "Hobbalub a lubbalub". Tell me, does anyone else apart from the Olivers and their Codemasters chums really think a couple of garbled words adds significantly Lo the game's attraction?

There's a gorgeously mindless little tune (courtesy of David Whittaker) playing incessantly that will pretty soon have your mum chewing the carpet, but other than that there aren't any sound effects. Controls are fairly basic: Z, X, Space and Enter for left, right, jump and pick up/drop or use respectively. Or alternatively you can use the joystick.

Your mission, as Dizzy stuck on this Treasure Island, is to escape. There are two routes: one tricky, and one even trickier. The first is to find a way off the island and, as the twee scenario puts it, "back to the Yolkfolk". The other is to collect all 30 pieces of treasure that be scattered about the place. This is by no means as easy as it sounds, for some of them lie in apparently inaccessible places, and others are hidden under other things.

In reality, of course, the real aim of the game as far as you're concerned is to wander around collecting treasure as you explore your island. You catch sight of an interesting-looking area, only to find that you can't get there - which, of course, makes you want to find out what's there all the more - and your immediate objective becomes to find a way to it!

Take care, however, for you only have one life. You can be bouncing along quite happily, for instance, when all of a sudden you get clobbered by a huge cage dropping out of the sky. Not a thing you can do about it, either, except pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again. It's all tremendously egg-citing (ouch).

It can hardly be said that Treasure Island Dizzy

If you want strategy, hard intellectual effort or the opportunity to blast away at dozens of aliens or soldiers, steer clear. This ain't no Microprose Gunship, and it ain't no Op Wolf neither. But if you know the Oliver twins' work and enjoy it, you'll need no further recommendation.

PS. When you pick up the spade in the sea, remember to come out of the water before you use it. Otherwise, when you put down the other items you'll also have to put down the snorkel - and you'll drown, as I found out to my cost!

I liked it. It has good graphics and the music is a cheerful little tune. It's easy to start playing, though the controls aren't very sensitive. You should get more than one life, because it's a bit too difficult and a pain to have to go back to the beginning every time.

Overall I think it's brilliant for the price. I'll probably buy it myself.

Fine

Graphics 74% P. Dizzy is instantly recognisable and moves amusingly. N. Very samey backgrounds: trees and steps all the way.

Sonics 64% P. A persistent cheerful tune... N. Five synthesised words - big deal! Where's the sound effects, lads?

Grab Factor 84% P. Instant appeal. You'll be hooked!

Staying Power 63% P. You'll keep trying to get off the island. N. But when you do, that's it.

Overall 80% P. Hugely enjoyable, it will be welcomed by all Dizzy fans.