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The definitive C64 speed experience has arrived: ten loads packed with scrumptious graphics, vicious cops and heavy-duty military hardware push the 6502 to new limits. Stuart Wynne straps himself into System 3's latest motor for some serious G-force.

If Judge Pickles had his way, none of this would be happening, with cocaine and heroin cheaply available on prescription. But until Boots get into the act, drugs are a high-risk, high-profits business which not only corrupts policemen, but also entire governments in this politically dodgy game. The 'untouchable' star of the show is a single-minded cop who doesn't care how he brings international drug dealers to book. Don't ask how he affords that red, 200mph Lamborghini Countach - the poor so-and-so probably lives in it as his car is shipped around the world.

On each of the five levels the chase starts in a friendly country which ends with you smashing through the border gate. On disk or cart a hi-res screen is loaded showing the wood-splintering scene, then the next section is loaded. Section two of the level always takes place in countries so friendly to drug dealers the whole might of the police force is thrown against you.

Wherever you are, there are no innocents - everything on the road is a target and the more you blow up, the more points you make. Some vehicles take only a single hit, others take up to twenty. Bullets are thankfully unlimited, but for some the stopping power of a missile can be useful. Hold down fire to change the pistol sight into a missile cursor, then release to send one of five rockets on its way.

Enemy vehicles aren't just fast-moving targets though; pay attention and you'll see muzzle flashes as they return fire. Receive either 100% damage, or seven bullet holes in the windshield, and your car explodes for good. Damage is also inflicted by crashing into the scenery (occasionally resulting in a non-fatal explosion), running into rocks or shrubs in the road, driving over mines or coming under withering fire from swooping helicopters and A-10 attack jets. The aircraft are, in fact, absolutely stunning. Jets zoom in with Gatling guns flashing, while helicopters whirr out of the horizon, then hover overhead, raking the tarmac with gunfire. The sight of a helicopter overhead, an A-10 roaring in, the car zooming down a rollercoaster hill *and* bridges blurring past is astonishing - an arcade-style experiment in graphical overkill.

There are over twenty different enemies to deal with, especially impressive being police cars which abruptly slide around to form impromptu roadblocks. End-level baddies aren't quite so impressive: they're generally unremarkable cars which, when you've got past everything else, need to be blasted full of holes - all the time returning fire. A van adds some variety, but they could've been better. However, levels increase in difficulty with the addition of more road objects, helicopters, then jets, then oncoming juggernauts!

If you defeat a drug lord he pulls over to be arrested, and then (on disk or cart) there's a level-complete screen. Also, your damage goes back to zero, you get a full complement of missiles and your petrol tank is refilled. Petrol? Yep, you've got a gas-guzzling V-12 engine behind you and it needs to be fed. Fortunately there's plenty of blue petrol tanks lying in the road for you to run over. Usefully, text warnings of upcoming fuel tanks, mines and drug leaders appear just below your score - although most times you're so preoccupied with the action you don't notice them!

As I've already said, graphics are a little fast, but the quality of them remains to be drooled over. The ten separate levels are all radically different, usually including two or more separate styles within them. A particular favourite is China, which has massive pyramids, red obelisks and more besides. Then there's Egypt and Sphinx-like statues, and the superb American level with a city full of System 3 hoardings and skyscrapers, plus a balloon and a beautifully atmospheric sky. There's the odd weakness, such as oversize police huts with giant policemen, but on the whole graphics are simply stunning - static. Moving they're awesome. Zooming along at top speed you completely forget about the turbo charge option, but yet, it's there. Hit the space bar and the game gets faster, speeding you past helicopters but burning up fuel at a prodigious rate.

Rollercoaster roads, attack jets - what more could you want? How about forks in the road which take you shooting down dead-ends to splatter you across brick walls? It sounds nasty, it is nasty. But there is a fairly obvious way of working out which road to take and thankfully the program generously allows you to make your choice at the very last instant. There's none of this 'milliseconds to react and no changing your mind' lark; you can slide over the ground separating the two roads at the last instant, if necessary.

You can also admire a nice effect in tunnels, where the palette changes to realistically darken your car. Somewhat unrealistically helicopters and jets continue their attacks in tunnels, but System 3 aren't too concerned - it's an arcade game so why make it easy for you? True, true, it doesn't matter when you're playing. Even when metal girders are flashing overhead and A-10's are attacking, graphic priorities work in a way that feels right.

Combine all this with some wonderful tunes and FX, a beautiful car explosion plus great presentation and, well, it's Gold Medal time. The racing shoot-'em-up format has never been faster or more graphically stunning. Disk and cart version, in particular, benefit from great intermission screens, but even with a C2N this eye-burning speed merchant is unmissable.

I'm only used to driving a Metro, so the sheer speed of Turbo Charge is frightening! The huge, superbly detailed side-graphics whizz past at an amazing rate as you screech over huge hills and through tunnels.

There's no need for fiddly gear changing either - you've got more than enough to keep you occupied, frantically dodging left and right to avoid enemy fire and somehow also shoot the baddies.

The roadblasting action doesn't change much throughout the levels, but the road maps do vary considerably - the programmers' experimentation with Scalextric layouts has paid off with some levels being real rollercoasters, other dotted with functions, tunnels and so on. It all adds up to one awesome driving game.

Presentation 94%
Superlative disk and cart presentation: death scene, level-complete screens and high score table. Tape version will be stripped down to save multi-load hassle, but like all versions has slick intro and game-complete screens.

Graphics 97%
Ten levels, with at least two graphic styles per level, beautifully varied with excellent attack aircraft and incredible speed.

Sound 93%
An impressive range of tunes provides an absorbing soundtrack.

Hookability 97%
Instantly, completely, totally addictive.

Lastability 94%
Not a huge amount of variety, but arcade feel means you'll come back to it again and again.

Overall 96%
A stunning arcade experience, blindingly fast and exceptionally violent.