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Set in the multi-dimensional realms of space, you play an intergalactic Good Guy, shooting out malevolent satellites - despite the name of the game, you're firmly on your own: there's no futuristic Tonto to help out. Piloting a craft with unlimited reserves of fuel and ammunition you have to destroy a set of sixteen satellites that form an alien communication network before progressing to the next level where a similar task awaits...

Space is a relatively empty place on earlier levels - the target satellites drift gently, pulsing out light beams in four directions to maintain communication with their colleagues in the network. Chunky brown meteorites drift around aimlessly, doing no-one any harm as they follow the solar winds, and circular warp-holes created by the alien space engineers allow a canny pilot to hop from one part of space to another, painlessly and quickly.

Your task is to destroy all the satellites on a level, and it can be completed in one of two ways. The most obvious solution is to zoom around space using the pulses of light generated by your targets to locate them, dealing laser death to the mechanical creators on an individual basis. Alternatively, locate the Super Portal which gives access to an Inner Sanctum - a maze constructed of force-field walls and moving barriers.

Inside the maze you can pick up glowing dots by driving your craft into them - a tricky task, as the walls of the maze and circular field generators bounce the space cruiser around if it hits them. Contact with a moving red barrier or one of the yellow exit warp gates returns the cruiser to satellite-ridden space with a cargo of dots on board. If you can then find the Skyway Patrol craft, piloting the cruiser into it causes a satellite to be automatically destroyed for every dot collected in the Inner Sanctum maze.

On early levels, the bolts of light emitted by satellites are green and harmless, but on laser levels deadly red laser bolts are also encountered. Other hazards encountered more frequently on later levels are meteorites, and alien defence craft which materialise at random and give chase, firing laser energy in your direction and attempting to collide with you. To gain some respite, it is possible to drive into a Sonic Sparkler - a twinkling clump of dust that confers temporary invincibility.

Original equipment consists of four space cruisers, with an additional craft added for every 1,000 points earned. There is a set time for each level to be completed, and failing to destroy all sixteen satellites within this limit results in the loss of one ship. When a complete network of targets has been destroyed any remaining time units are exchanged for bonus points.

Just to make life for a would-be Space Hero that bit more frustrating, the aliens left behind an automatic robot repair system that sets about fixing up damaged satellites. The space cruiser's sensors detect robot activity, and when the alert sounds it's wise to seek out and destroy the offending android.

This is a very slick two-element game that has you haring around open space on the trail of targets - or bouncing around inside a maze looking for a short-cut to satellite destruction.

The graphics and sound are well-polished, as you would expect of what was originally a full-price game (even if it is several years old), and the gameplay contains enough to keep you hooked.

You can't really go wrong with your two quid, especially if space shoot-'em-up have any appeal for you. Well done Firebird - what's next on the menu?

This might be archaic, but it's one of the best budget shoot-'em-ups around. The instructions are deliberately sparse, leaving it up to the player to discover all the hidden features - and there are quite a number of them.

Anyway, a lot of the fun is derived from suddenly being dumped into a situation and having to work out what to do next. I liked the variation between the frenetic blasting and dodging in the main section, and the slow bouncing around within the inner sanctum.

The graphics are really odd - very unlike a C64 game in fact - and the sound effects do a good job in adding to the strange spacey atmosphere.

Great stuff. Put it high on your 'must buy' list.

For something that's nothing more than an old variation on the Asteroids theme, Zone Ranger has stood the test of time well. This is mainly due to its fact, exciting and addictive qualities.

The graphics aren't astounding; in fact, they're a slightly weak in places, but with gameplay as good as this, you don't have to worry about little things like that.

The frequent appearance of the Inner Sanctum maze provides a relaxing break from the otherwise hectic blasting. However, it's never long before you're back into the action.

The great thing about Zone Ranger is that it can be picked up and played at any time - it's a good, straightforward blaster that stands up well today against so many complicated games.

Presentation 82%
Elegant game structure, enough relevant on-screen information, and an Attract Mode.

Graphics 81%
Little variety, but different, characteristic, and very effective with it.

Sound 58%
A few functional spot effects.

Hookability 93%
Instantly rewarding and addictive.

Lastability 77%
Easy to pick up and play - at any time.

Value For Money 94%
A veritable bargain - not to be missed.

Overall 80%
A neat and cheap addition to the shoot-'em-up range.