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This is the official version of this arcade classic for the CBM 64, and very classy it is too. The 3D graphics are excellent, showing your spacecraft, compete with shadow to enable you to judge its position accurately, flying over asteroid cities and through deep space. Sound effects are pretty good too.

I was immensely impressed by the load sequence. Now that fast-load systems are more or less standard on CBM games, U.S. Gold has gone one better to give you a title screen, signature tune - Stars and Stripes Forever - and countdown of the number of blocks remaining while the game loads.

The game itself is all that a good arcade game should be: simple enough not to demoralise beginners too much, yet sophisticated enough to challenge arcade aces. Once you have learnt to negotiate the first asteroid city successfully, you can go back and see how many more of the enemy gun emplacements, tanks and radar towers you can destroy. Having learnt how to fly through deep space dodging the enemy fighters, you can try your hand at shooting them instead.

My only regret is that it isn't British!

M.N.