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The on-screen instruction for Birds Of Prey merely repeats what you get on the card insert, which is a bit disappointing. I would have preferred a loading screen with a display of potential enemies and scores. The initial game screen supplies information on the current level of difficulty (1 to 4), a top five scoreboard (plus the level at which it was achieved), and the sound on/off options.

The game itself involves knocking off a considerable number of standard Galaxian like creatures with your laser base. It turns out to be spell-binding stuff with debris and creatures pouring down the screen, some of them harmless, some of them capable of quickly dispensing with your three lives.

The aural warnings of oncoming Death Bombs and the nightmare of picking out the screaming Kamikaze birds from amongst the other debris, bullets and Circlers, are the highlights of what should have been an ordinary game but which has that addictive quality.

It's certainly quick enough. Level four is very rapid indeed and the relaxed pose taken up on level one gives way to tightening around the shoulders, intense concentration and a thumb twitching on the joystick button (the game is one of those compatible with the First Byte joystick interface).

Keyboard controls are three in number only and so easy to handle. Your possible rate of fire also increases with the levels so it isn't all bad as you progress. You soon learn strategy for (say) mopping up stragglers at the end of a screen by moving parallel to their flight before firing.

One strange occurrence: after about ten games, two Circlers blew up at the same time and the whole game froze, had to be terminated and reloaded. Not to worry and no chance of spoiling a splendid all action game for the Elk.