I guess Centipede is one of those games which just can't fail to be exciting. There are literally dozens of versions and all manage to generate a healthy amount of perspiration; you'd have to do something drastically wrong (like forget the Centipede) in order to spoil the formula. This one is no exception to the rule.

The graphics are chunky but acceptable, the sound surprisingly butch and the gameplay adequately fierce. There are no less than nine speed variations, of which I found the top three acceptably fast, plus all the usual bonus features. Snails crawl mindlessly across the screen disgorging bucketloads of lethal little 'uns and an elastic snail boings gleefully around your weapons system. Of course, the thing calls out for trackball control but failing that joysticks are a reliable substitution.

Like all Dragon programs it loads with nary a hitch and seems well worth the money. I can also safely predict that this'll be the nearest I get to doing any sort of gardening all year.