US Gold has an incredible reputation when it comes down to compilations, it's just a shame that this latest one is so damn dire.

First up is Road Blasters (on the cassette version, anyway), which is a very average attempt at a racing game. It is based on the successful Capcom coin-op (as are all the other games in this set), and offers slightly more than your common-or-garden Pole Position clone.

It was the first in the new batch of race games, ones with guns, which goes some way to justify the title. The action is roughly the same as other games of the genre, but you have a machine gun mounted on the front, which can blow the hazards out of the way. The only thing is, the enemy are also armed.

Although this was the game that sparked a lot of controversey, and several writs, it is hardly anything to write home about„ and there are now for better shoot'n'race type games available. The graphics are okay, so I suppose it isn't too bad.

Street Fighter, though, is not too hot, and with it relying on the license to make it different from any other beat-'em-up, the game does not seem the same without the punch pads.

Actually it is only a naff reproduction of the arcade game. The graphics ore only reasonable, and the gameplay is far too difficult. The fact that it's multiload doesn't help it one iota.

But, if you want a laugh, play Side Arms. And as a great fan of the neon version I was sincerely peeved. The sprite of the one character it allows you to play (the arcade machine having two-player action) is absolutely enormous, and really looks as though someone has thrown-up on the screen.

The game is slow, boring, and far too stupidly hard. If I'd wanted a joke I would have gone and bought a Billy Connolly tape, not a pathetic compilation. Bionic Commando is almost as bad as Side Arms, but not quite. It looks as if it's ported straight across from a Spectrum, and thus is garish, with see-though sprites. It is in no way as good as any other version, and even the action has been marred.

One reason why someone may buy this compilation (although I cannot really see this as an excuse), is to acquire the excellent 1943. Being a good shoot-em-up it already scores highly with me, and the fact that it is the sequel to 1942, helps towards the popularity factor. The graphics are good, the sound effects ore good, and the game as a whole is great fun.

Now please listen to my warning: I shall only say this once. Arcade Muscle is terrible, and no way as good as Command Performance. If you must buy a collection of games, go for that one or The In Crowd, but I assure you, you'll want to give Arcade Muscle a miss. It is sincerely awful.