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It's ironic that while Dominic Wheatley takes time out to slag magazines off as 'vultures' in the trade press, his company's Vindicators should finally arrive on budget. This Domark release began life as a tape/disk conversion but was abruptly rushed onto cartridge for a GS craze which never materialized.

Recently it limped onto tape/disk compilations and is now making one last effort to attract your money on budget.

The basic idea behind Vindicators is as threadbare as the game concept; a truly mediocre coin-op picked up for the simple reason coin-op conversions sell. There seems to have been no effort made to enhance the gameplay, there's no graphical glitz or programming polish whatsoever and clearly nothing to show off cartridge power since it fits onto tape unchanged.

For the record, there are fourteen space stations, each viewed from above with one or two players in control of tanks which destroy the baddies, dodge mines and collect exit keys - as well as bonus stars to spend on tanks upgrade. It's dull, repetitive and got 35% in issue 70. The passage of time makes it no less appealing even on budget.