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This is a game that goes up against ArmourGeddon 2 (AP37, 57%) and manages to beat it hands down, despite it being seven years old, massively flawed and, well, a bit crap really. It was out on budget even in AP1, and now US Gold have decided to make it a bit more budgetier, if there is such a word. [There isn't! - Ed]

You control a huge carrier in some far-flung part of the world where recent volcanic activity has thrown up a load of mineral-rich islands, and the idea's to grab all the islands before your opponent does. He's got tanks, you've got tanks. He's got lasers and planes and bombs and things, and so have you. Hmm, this can mean only one thing...

Blowing the crap out of the enemy in as short a time as possible's made simple by the easy-peasy way you can send a load of craft into battle at the same time. Everything's icon- and mouse-controlled, so to send out a wave of fighters you simply arm 'em up, give them a waypoint and send them out.

The same goes for amphibious tanks which are needed to colonise the islands, usually after they've wiped out the settlers with virus bombs or guided missiles.

Your carrier's also got defensive weapons which can be brought to bear on ground targets if you bring it in close enough, but as well as the 3D bits, there's also the strategy part of trying to cut off the enemy's supply routes.

This is where it falls down a bit, because if you isolate the stockpile island, you've pretty much won the game, and maintaining a supply of fresh weaponry does get in the way of the shooting. There's also the enemy carrier out there promising a colossal bang-shoot, but I could never find it. And it takes ages to get from island to island, and the tanks gets slaughtered by aircraft and a hundred other little glitches that don't stop it being a thoughtful and enjoyable game.

Clunky, quirky and definitely hard to get into, Carrier Command still manages to be a surprisingly playable blend of (graphically poor) action and (stunningly poor) strategy. And to think it was revolutionary when it came out. I like it.