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Working in an eccentric millionaire's video store can become a bit hectic at times. Especially when he just happens to set up shop in a castle full of meanies.

As his one and only maintenance robot, it's your task to wander around the building, turning all 15 videos on, ready for the day's customers. This is no easy job however, as certain room sections are locked, and the keys are scattered all over the castle - many of them in rooms which are themselves locked. Therefore you must scurry backwards and forwards between rooms, collecting the appropriate keys in order to enter the sections containing videos.

On contact with a video, a 'fruit machine' style bonus screen appears, with the option to gamble for extra lives. Declining to play leaves the video activated and awards your robot with a bonus according to the amount of energy remaining. However, accepting the gamble initiates a moving bar which continually cycles down an alternating series of options. Depending on where you stop the bar, you either turn the video on and receive extra lives - or your robot dies and the video remains unactivated. The room must then be renegotiated with a replacement robot.

Each room contains a variety of hazards, including meanies which rapidly re-generate when shot, and laser beams and sliding blocks which have to be avoided. Your robot's energy is constantly diminishing, so you are also under pressure to complete each screen as quickly as possible.

The game ends when your five lives have gone, and scores may be included in the high score table for posterity - or at least until you turn the machine off.

The guy that designed Video Meanies must really hate us gamesters: it's infuriatingly difficult and maddeningly addictive at the same time. This means that you only stop playing when you have either completed the game or put your fist through the screen.

It certainly provides a tough enough challenge, but is still the sort of game that you'll come back to time and again. After all, it's only two quid - and what wants to remain sane forever?

Despite looking and sounding awful, Video Meanies is both fun to play and challenging. Initially I found it almost too frustrating, but once I started making headway the game became extremely enjoyable.

The gameplay basically involves the player working out the correct route through the 'video shop', but doing so is strangely addictive - perhaps because the scenario and graphics are so bizarre? Whatever the reason, Video Meanies is a neat game and well worth the two quid price tag.

This is one of those games which looks very unimpressive, but offers plenty of fun. Some of the obstacles and traps are extremely difficult to negotiate, but the frustration level has been nicely judged and the game remains addictive, even after four successive deaths at the same, seemingly impassable hazard. At two quid it's a good buy - try it.

Presentation 69%
There's an annoying between-game delay, but it's quite polished otherwise.

Graphics 67%
A pleasing mish-mash of different styles and effects.

Sound 62%
Catchy title tune and reasonable, though limited spot effects.

Hookability 55%
The initial difficulty may dampen the enthusiasm...

Lastability 72%
...but it you persevere, it will probably provide a good deal of entertainment.

Overall 71%
Another good release from Mastertronic.