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The more astute of you may have noticed that there are literally thousands of coin-ops being transferred onto your micros. Software houses seem to be snapping up those licences faster than you can say 'conversion'. And they're not stopping at coin-ops either, this Xmas we've seen films, TV shows, comics and even cartoons on the C64.

OK so it's great for fans of the respective arcade games but why not spare a thought for fans of original software? It seems to me that a large amount of software houses are thinking with their wallet instead of their brain. [Take his soapbox away! - Ed]

Anyway, to the game. Breakthru is the latest in the long line of US Gold conversions. Originally by Data East, the people behind Express Raider. The object of the game is to retrieve PK430, your country's freedom fighter. So it's into your jeep and off to the mountains.

Your jeep is armed only with a machine gun, but also has the ability to leap high into the air. The jump facility is greatly needed at the mountain to jump over the regular rockslides you will encounter.

Also found on your course through the mountains are armoured cars which must be shot at with your puny gun.

Halfway along the level, you will come to a tunnel full of trucks with large flame-throwers mounted upon their back. Due to a luvly great bug these are easily whizzed past. Just climb up the left-hand wall and nothing can touch you. But watch out for the gun-turret at the end.

Level two is the bridge. A killer of a level it is too. Now and again you come across gaping chasms in the bridge, which have been purposely blown up by the enemy. The major trouble with these holes is that, although they may seem unjumpable they, of course, are. What you have to do on more than one occasion is leap onto the other lane of the bridge where it hasn't been blown up. Later on in the level you will meet a large tank, but beware, when you shoot it another one tends to appear.

Level three is the prairie but it looks strikingly similar to the first level. It is absolutely no different in gameplay, and just as boring. Level four is in the city, although there are no big changes from the other levels apart from the odd tank or flamethrower.

The biggest problem with Breakthru is that it plays badly. The whole game is downright boring to play. Although at first it is bearable after a while it becomes nauseating.

The game has an altogether unfinished feel about it, when you jump you can't tell where you are. It is just totally and utterly unplayable.

US Gold can count themselves lucky that I haven't decided to list the numerous faults and bugs. Mainly because I don't wish you lot to be as numbingly bored as I was. The graphics are passable although dull. The sound is wasted on this game as the tunes are rather good.

US Gold should really face up to the fact that even with a big licence slapped on it, most gamers are not going to buy this sort of effortless garbage.