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Remember Rockford - the cute star of the smash hit game Boulder Dash well he's back in Boulder Dash II and Commodore User has an exclusive review.

Biggest news about this sequel is that the original game is given away free on the flipside of the cassette. Well - maybe free is a bit too strong - after all the £9.95 asking price is a couple of quid dearer than most games.

But then a fiver-a-piece for Boulderdash I and II is still value for money when you consider that most good C64 games cost about £7.00 anyway.

For non BD'ers the aim of the game is simple. You have to get Rockford safely through the scrolling play area - a curious chequered board scattered with boulders, collecting diamonds as you go.

But if that sounds easy just you give it a try. There are sixteen levels to get through and five difficulty options.

Working out how to get those jewels without an avalanche of boulders landing on your head is the fun part of Boulder Dash. Decisions need to be made on the move - often in a split second.

Graphics are not one of BD's strong points - in either version. It is the mechanics of the game and the playability that puts it in the super-game chess.

Other hazards appear like flashing squares that pursue you through the rooms. The boulders as well as crushing you can also be used to crush the chasers.

When all the diamonds have been collected on one screen a secret door opens up - through which you can travel to the next screen.

This is the scenario of BD 1. At first glance version number II doesn't seem very different. The objective is the same though much harder to achieve. The main difference is the lay out of the scrolling play levels.

You begin with a seemingly unsolvable trap. You have to make a quick dash four flashing chaser squares to get to the diamonds.

It takes a lot of practice to time your run properly to get past the chasers. New the real fun begins - as you scramble for those diamonds making the boulders fall on your opponents.

The key to success in Boulder Dash I and II is to study the screen very carefully - planning your route before you make your dash.

Another improvement version II has over the original is that you get a full size picture of Rockford on the title screen. The cutey stands there tapping his foot just as he does when he stops to think in the game itself.

Monolith are to continue the policy of giving away version one with the launch of the follow-up in another of their forthcoming launches - the sequel to Spy Vs. Spy. Good news for gamers, this - how about following suit Activision, Melbourne House, US Gold, Ultimate, Ocean, Llamasoft et al. Monolith is a new arcade games label to be launched by Beyond Software.