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To be blunt, the authors of this game are asking a bit much. They've charged you with the task of storming a hostile Pacific island single-handed, destroying a neutron beam located in the middle, collecting the constituent parts of a bridge to get there, rescuing hostages imprisoned in four locations and, if you have time, doing away with as many of the defending forces as you can - and all before lunch too.

Battle Island is so large, it takes up more than 300 screens. Since your job is to cover almost every inch of it, Novagen have thoughtfully provided you with a map. Now those of you who detest maps aren't going to like this, because using it is pretty essential. The island is laid out like a maze, complete with walls, fences, gun emplacements, gates which automatically open and shut and a number of installations that you must visit.

The map shows you where the eight constituent parts of the bridge are, which you must acquire to cross the moat and gain access to the neutron beam placement at the centre of the island. The problem is that, from your start position, there is only one way to get round the island and you must collect bridge parts in the order they're numbered on the map. Not surprisingly, collecting all eight involves a scenic trip around the whole island. The four installations where hostages are held captive are also clearly marked. These must be raided too.

You get a 'helicopter' view of the island and, as you move, the scenery scrolls smoothly in all four directions - very impressive. You're equipped with only a gun that fires what looks like ping-pong balls and a limited number of smart grenades. But you can get more blasting power by picking up various items along the way.

For example, picking up the tommy gun icon gives you more firepower, whilst the shoes make you move quicker. There are also a few 'energy' emplacements which give you more lives. By the way, these aren't marked on the map so you'd better keep your eyes peeled.

You can also gain protection against the enemy's bullets by acquiring a shield. The process works like this: do away with enough nasties and a star appears. Gathering the first three steadily increases your firepower whilst the fourth gives you a temporary invincibility shield. The shield works just fine until you lose a life, and then you're back to basic weaponry.

Graphically, Battle Island is little different to Commando and its clones. But it does give you some variation in scenery, vast expanses of chequerboard squares, electrified fences, a realistic coastline etc. And the installations are clear and easy to spot. Each one is entered by a gate that opens and shuts automatically as soon as you stand in front of it. Sound is OK. You hear various nasties before they appear, like the trundling tanks or the whistling grenades.

Since there's so much looking at the map to be done, a Pause key is thoughtfully provided. You'll use this often to get your bearings. For a quicker idea of where you are, you an glance at the middle one of three panels at the bottom of the screen. This shows your location on the map and the location of the nearest bridge part. The left panel shows your score and the number of smart grenades left, whilst the right panel displays your lives situation.

Battle Island is, by no means, original but it does provide many hours of strategic blasting, though the cheapo graphics and feel may detract too much for the perfectionists among you.