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"Commando-style" games are upon us! First, we were treated to Commando, now we have the Alligata conversion and still to come is Green Beret, a poor reviewer could get a Rambo complex from all this. All of these derive from the arcade classic Commando and follow much the same plotline: a single soldier must advance up the screen, shooting enemy soldiers, avoiding bullets, skirting obstacles and completing a mission.

On that basis this game is fairly standard and only has more detailed play, continual fire mode and variety of landscape to recommend it over Commando.

The gameplay is easy to get into and the standard movement patterns of the enemy soldiers do mean that movement up the field of battle can be quite easy; provided you don't try to go too far too fast. However, the graphics are poor and spoil the effect of the game - we're back in Manic Miner country (although scratchy graphics never hurt that game!) and I much prefer the chunky Commando figures. Anyone who has seen the Amstrad version of this game will find that this is almost identical - full marks to Alligata though, for the Beeb conversion!

One very nice touch is revealed at the end of the mission - you have done so well that now you have to return to the start... the hard way! Playable and compulsive, this should do well, but if you can only afford one lone-soldier-against-the-world game, then I would advise you to have a look at this and Commando in action before parting with the cash.