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Infogrames deal up one of the oddest missions yet - break into Alcatraz

I thought the traditional idea was to escape from Alcatraz. You know, 'If you see Alcatraz, run in completely the opposite direction!' sort of stuff. Certainly, Clint Eastwood didn't hang around long before doing a runner, armed (incidentally) with only a cunningly fashioned spoon-cum-knife gadget and an inflatable rubber coat (!). Even the infamous birdman (some sort of cross-dresser? I haven't actually seen the film) could only have been there under duress.

But not so according to Infogrames! Here our objective is to get into Alcatraz. Bird and Fist are two crack commandos on the trail of Public Enemy Number 1, the international drug terrorist Miguel Tardiez. He's holed up in the seemingly impenetrable former federal prison, together with his gang of armed-to-the-gold-teeth hardnuts. The deal is that if the boys can brake into Alcatraz, successfully complete three separate missions and then capture the guy himself, well - he'll certainly think twice before selling any drugs again.

Alcatraz is a two-player game in the Bonanza Bros split-screen style, allowing both characters to explore their surroundings simultaneously. In one-player mode, you actually control both players - a tap of the Return key swaps control from Bird to Fist (or back again, whatever), with one player stopping, moving and the other continuing from wherever he was abandoned.

This may sound complicated, but in fact it's initially quite fun. The two characters can 'hide' in the background. This involves simply guiding them to strategic points of the scenery where they can wait in safety. So walk, roll and scrap your way with Fist until he gets to a hiding place further into the game, then leave him there and advance Bird along the same path in his footsteps.

There are three missions to complete, and you have two hours to complete them all in. Mission one: explore the barracks and seize some vital incriminating documents with which you can pin down Miguel. Mission two: locate the industry building, and destroy the drugs and cash located within. Lastly, mission three: infiltrate the cell-houses and bang the head honcho to rights. One quick dash to the helicopter pad later (don't worry, Infogrames provide a map of the island) and you've finished. Fans of Infogrames' release Hostages from a few years back will be on very familiar ground here.

The problem is, of course, that Miguel's henchmen are dotted around the place waiting to give you a hard time. As Bird and Fist scamper around the island, they'll encounter quite an unfeasibly large number of armed guards. The action is either beat knife, rifle, flame thrower or grenade-'em-up, depending on which weapon you've managed to collect or have selected to use. If you manage to kill a bad guy, he'll drop his weapon. Pick the weapon up, and it's yours for the using (until the ammo runs out of course, then you'll have to find yourself another one).

The graphics are good. The animation is smooth (Bird and Fist really creep around the island with style) and there's a real atmosphere of menace. But in one player mode the two-player switching soon becomes a pain in the Alcatraz, the only relief coming when one of the characters dies, so the other can carry on alone. To get the most out of this game you really need two players - even more so than with the Bonanza Brothers.

So grab a friend, 'soften him up a bit' (all good practice for the game ahead) and get him to go halves with you - you're guaranteed to have more fun on Alcatraz than the bird-man (I'm still worried about that) ever did.

A smooth two-player beat-'em-up romp with braincells. Three independent missions form the backbone for bags of Alcatraz-atmosphere and respectable action. Don't underestimate the need for two players though - it's not much fun on your own!