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MILITARY strategy games should be complex and well-devised if they are to satisfy war-gamers and should enable the player to develop tactical skills. Programs like Johnny Reb and Apocalypse are examples which demonstrate those qualities. Regrettably, Wilfred the Hairy, Olaf the Hungry from Microbyte does not fulfil those requirements and left the reviewer wondering why the game has been produced in such an apparently unfinished state.

The intention of the programmer seems to have been to create a world-wide, map-based conflict between two armies captained by the aforementioned heroes. The computer acts as one and the player takes on the role of the other.

You may move your "piece", drawn as a rather sketchy warrior, across the continents, returning when your ammunition is exhausted to your equally sketchy base. There are no easily-distinguishable screen prompts to show when it is your turn and instructions are very limited.

It really seems as if the computer is hogging all the play, leaving you a few brief moments in which to move round the board and deposit flag markers to show your territory. There is no effective combat sequence, except a small graphics window which displays sea fights using a movable cannon and enemy warships.

After a time it seemed easier to let the computer carry on alone as there was no stimulus to play and no excitement or skill if you did. It is an undistinguished and tedious game offering little originality or playability.

Memory: 48K Price: £5.50