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Now listen, you joiks. Bugsy Maroon's in town, and it if occois ta ya ta corak him yous don't gotta chance!

Bugsy is a gangster game set in the violent Chicago of the 1920's. His objective is to become the boss of all organised crime, and to achieve it, his helper, who guides him through the medium of a computer keyboard, will have to have a pretty mean streak. Putting the frighteners on defenceless kids, and spraying anyone who gets in his way with bullets, are all in a day's work. And he won't have to mind the sight of blood, either.

Well I never! Those two gentle ladies from St. Bride's School have certainly come a long way from hockey sticks and midnight feasts in the dorm! Whatever next?!

The only concession to the gentler nature of the adventuring fraternity, is that the gangster in question is a little blue rabbit. But what a rabbit! With a few quick blows Bugsy Maroon is able to fell the more feared hoods in town! Nothing short of myxomatosis is likely to stand in his way, if he plays his cards right!

The story opens with Bugsy collapsing in a pool of blood right in front of Trixie Trinian - he's failed in his mission. Trixie soon gets you with the computer, to guide Bugsy on the road to success, by typing instructions on your keyboard. If you get it wrong, you'll be blamed for Bugsy's demise - and quite often are! A Hollywood touch is added, by the suggestion throughout the game, that this is all a big film set - everything sepia is in colour.

You'll find fertile ground indeed for the aspiring criminal intent on snatching cash. Quite apart from the bank, there's a Post Office, a Pawn shop, a gunsmith's a railway station, and a warehouse packed with one-armed bandits. Trouble is, the one-armed bandits are guarded by two-armed bandits - so you may need to hire a few of the dubious characters eager to offer their services once you have shown that despite your big ears, whiskers, and strange colour, you intend to be the boss.

Bugsy is a Quilled adventure in two parts. To move on to part two, you must succeed in the most lucrative crime in part one. Your score is measured in banknotes. Progress is slow at first, and it is necessary to read the text carefully to acquire the first essential item on any gangsters shopping list. It's not in the object list, but appears in a message. If you miss it, you'll find your attempts at crime futile, for it's up to you to raise money by any foul means you can. You'll need to plough it back into staff and equipment to pull off the main crime in part one. In other words, hire a gang and get a shooter!

To do this, you'll have to think through the strategy quite carefully, for it soon becomes apparent that there are important alternatives available in spending your ill-gotten gains!

Part two takes you into the big time, and soon you will ditch the hotel that, albeit dingy, seems quite comfortable. Your rival, Spike O'Donnell, is better situated, and style says a lot! Now, instead of measuring your success in terms of cash, your position in the Public Enemy charts is all important, and it's that No. 1 spot that you are after!

Input, despite The Quill's limitations, is well handled. To talk to a character, type TALK TO (character) and usually you will be put into a special conversation mode which offers single-key choices such as GREET, BRIBE, PROTECT. But the valid vocabulary is rather limited, and "Ya just stretched my vocabulary ta bustin' point" in reply to HELP, is not particularly funny.

But there are plenty of humorous responses that do warrant a laugh, even when you choose an approach that is irrevelant to the plot, and this keeps you entertained whilst you struggle to become TOP RABBIT.

There are graphics, and each location of the same type, has a very similar picture. They do help you recognise where you are, although if you are trying your way back in for the Nth time, they are best turned off with the TEXT command, after which, response is almost instant.

The feature which truly makes this game very playable, is the RAM SAVE option, which allows you to undertake risky crimes with a quick recovery if unsuccessful. But ya gotta rememba to use it, dumbo! Yeah, and dat's anudder ting. Make you you speak da right lingo, or you don't gotta chance!