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Originally a release on the Activision label, Silverbird (formerly Firebird) managed to pull off a terrific deal and re-release it with a £1.99 price tag which, along with its outstanding playability and frantic gameplay, made it eminently worthy of a Sizzler in Issue 26 of Zzap!

At the start of the game, the screen contains a central green block surrounded by an array of hexagonal blocks, which increases in size as play progresses. Each block holds a section of grey track, either straight, T-shaped or cross-shaped, which can all be rotated through 90 degrees by guiding a rolling head onto them and pushing the joystick left or right to turn the tile. To complete each screen, all the tiles must be connected together to form a continuous track.

Time is vital, with each level played against the clock; just to add to your worries, pairs of fireballs infest later levels, spelling death for the head if it makes contact. Tiles occasionally appear carrying a decreasing bonus. Guiding the head over this before the figure reaches zero adds that amount to the player's score.

Well, what can I say? This has been a favourite of mine for a long time, due to its inordinate level of addictiveness and the inspired concept which demands fast and logical thinking under increasing pressure, like some kind of Krypton Factor test. The simple jingle which backs the action only adds to the overall freneticism, by increasing in tempo as the timer ticks down. Its best feature, though, is the way that you can spend precious seconds scrutinising the network, looking for the move which will solve the screen, only to accidentally twist a tile you hadn't considered moving and suddenly finding the whole track lit up in green and the level finished. For me, it's this which makes Zenji the best puzzle game ever for the Commodore.

Two quid for this? Now that's what I call value for money!

There's been a little dispute in Zzap Towers as to which game should receive the accolade - personally, I think Zenji just pips Soko-Ban, whose depth I didn't fully appreciate until I'd played it for a couple of months! This has got to be one of Firebird's best ever (re-)releases at any price - the gameplay is addictive from the start. The combination of time limit, aliens, and increasing complexity make it just hard enough to keep you gripped but simple enough to make you think "Why didn't I see that before?". Get up to about 20,000 points, and you'll discover the real meaning of mental strain... If you haven't got it, get it!