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The tumbleweed blows down the streets of Arkansas as you approach the wall of the county fail to see whose faces are supporting a price this week. Finding a group of four fresh faces, with rewards ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, you choose a likely candidate and plug a symbolic bullet hole in his countenance.

You'd like to take your trusty mule along, but the ground is too treacherous, so heading off on foot you enter an Ikari Warriors-style scrolling landscape to capture the bad guy of your choice. The enemy is quick to appear and attacks from the front or either side, with the gang's size and meanness corresponding directly to the size of the reward offered.

Your Colt 45 fires a hefty six bullets at a time (in three directions) on your first life, falling to four on your second and two on your third and final incarnation. A beating heart icon pumps a little extra life into your veins (it's the way I tell 'em), but there'll be a lot of desperadoes lining the route before you come across one of these.

If you can manage to tear yourself away from all of this death and destruction for a couple of seconds, you may notice the barrels which line the route. A well-placed bullet will shatter these, revealing a range of accessories which are essential to the well-equipped western law enforcer. Bullets need no explanation, while dynamite acts as a smart bomb and a shield gives you a ring of confidence and a tough skin to boot. More infrequently, yellow-lettered icons allow you to choose whichever of these options you want.

Other tokens are also available (boots, carbines and sheriffs' stars to name but three) and are notched up on a table at the bottom left of the screen, but with the notable exception of the dynamite sticks it's difficult to know what use they are. The accompanying booklet doesn't shed much light on the subject either, telling you for instance that the sheriff's star "let's you wipe out the outlaws' hired help that much faster"... but gives no clue as to how to use it!

Wanted is a bit short of original ideas, and lacks a little polish on the presentation side. It's also about as addictive as a Kylie and Jason duet. I found myself infuriated, exasperated, intimidated - but mostly entertained (that doesn't rhyme!)... and if you're not already sick of this type of game, maybe you will too.