Sometimes a game comes along that transports you back to the days of your youth, experiencing the early days of gaming as they came along. The CPC never got an official port of Atic Atac back in the Eighties, which was always quite an annoyance to me because old Arnold could have handled the game with ease.

Now we have it and it was well worth the wait. From the moment you press Fire, you'll be transported to the early days of gaming, where anything goes.

From the loading screen onward, you know you're in for a treat. This is a full colour, full-speed game that uses the CPC's strengths to excellent effect. Your character has fluid animation, excellent colours and incredible responsiveness.

The game is set over multiple rooms and multiple floors of the mansion; each of which can contain food to replenish your health; coloured keys to open locked foors of the same colour; monsters who will bite your bum if you're not careful; and special monsters who need special items to kill them. There are a variety of items in the mansion to help you on your way, but some are simply red herrings so this is a game that you're going to have to keep meticulous notes on if you want to win.

There are three characters to choose from: knight, square and wizard. Each of them can use different secret passages through the maze-like mansion; which gives a lot of variety to how to complete the game. It's a nice addition that adds re-playability to the game, which is always welcome.

As a long-time fan of Ultimate's classic game, I have to say I came into this review with some trepidation. I knew the ZX Spectrum game well from back in the Eighties; and more recently from playing it long into the night on my Xbox One. Could this port really compete with that?

Yes. Absolutely. We all know that the Amstrad CPC can handle a ZX Speccy port, or at least when it's in the right hands it can. This isn't a simple RAM dump with some modifications to get the game working well enough to ship out on cassette, it's an enhancement. A special edition that retains the feel of the game while making the most of the new hardware. Get it, play it, love it.

Did I enjoy it? Yes! Very much so, and I couldn't help but feel spoilt by the gorgeous enhancements that the CPC version has over its C64 and Speccy counterparts. The Mode 1 graphics are simply stunning and everything moves as smooth as you like.

Gameplay is frantic, thanks to the re-spawning enemies and doors that constantly open and shut. A tough challenge for any gamer. Great to see this classic finally finding its home on the CPC.

Presentation 90%
This game is top notch. It shows the power of the CPC off extremely well.

Graphics 90%
Everything looks amazing. It's instantly recognisable as the original Atic Atc.

Sound 40%
It's a faithful replica of the original Spectrum beeper effects and gets irritating quickly.

Addictive Qualities 93%
You'll want to come back and try to escape the mansion just one more time.

Lastability 91%
Expect to set aside a lot of time if you want to see everything.

Overall 81%