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This is what we want - a good old fashioned shoot 'em up. No bulky instruction manuals to memorise, no clusters of keys to tie your fingers in knots. Just grab your fave heavy duty joystick and get ready to go!

Written by Dominic 'Uridium' Robinson, Zynaps isn't a million miles away from the arcade game, Nemesis, but unlike that particular conversion Zynaps is smooth and slick, just the way a good zapping game should be.

Anyone who frequents amusement arcades will recognise this format - a spacecraft scrolling across a landscape jammed with alien crafts who swoop and dart at you at every opportunity. You're in control of the spacecraft, which resembles something you'd find in a cornflakes box, but packs a pretty mean punch as you make your way through the waves of oncoming aliens.

My first attempts lasted for about ten seconds before I was deftly spattered all over the landscape, but, once I'd started to get a few licks of my own in, I found that destroying certain targets enabled me to pick up that much needed extra weaponry. I do have one criticism, though. Every time you lose a life, you're plonked right back to the start which can be very frustrating, especially when you're just getting the hang of things.

So, the plot isn't original - you're a lone fighter up against hordes of marauding aliens - but it's been nicely put together with clear, finely detailed graphics and smooth, fast animation.

It seems that the first generation of computer programs are making a bit of a comeback, what with the updated versions of Breakout and early shoot-'em-up releases around. Perhaps software houses have finally realised that simple playability is as important as sophisticated programming and playability is something Zynaps has got lots of!

A good, wholesome shoot-'em-up that'll keep you playing but won't knock you for six.