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Micro Power are claiming that their latest release, Castle Quest, is probably the most challenging game ever released for the BBC Micro, Our resident games enthusiast, Alan Webster, has been following the quest for treasure. Is this the game we'll be playing in 1985?

Manic Miner-type games are all the rage at the moment. These are arcade-style action games where you have to tackle a set of problems, much as in an adventure, to reach a final goal.

Castle Quest is probably the most difficult of these games so far for the Beeb, and definitely the most attractive as far as action and graphics are concerned. It is claimed to be "Probably the most challenging game ever devised for the BBC Micro", and after a few hours of play I realised that I was not going to get very far in a hurry.

The object of the game is to find the wizard's treasure, hidden in a castle full of trolls, wicked witches and spiders. One of the first challenges you are likely to encounter is how to escape from a guarded dungeon armed, apparently, with only a stool. Guile and deception are the answers here, rather than any unsubtle fighting.

The game involves negotiating ladders and walkways and leaping across voids in true arcade style, whilst at the same time trying to solve the puzzles and collect items to help you in your quest to find the treasure.

Castle Quest uses thirteen different keys (a measure of the complexity of the game?) and also features such as 'MP4 Scrollerama', Micro Power's super-smooth four-directional hardware scroll.

The packaging is above Micro Power's usual standard, but even the disc version did not contain on-screen instructions.

Micro Power are hoping that this will be the first of many successful action/adventure/puzzle type games, but the most challenging game for the Beeb? In my opinion the answer is yes, but some would say Acornsoft's Elite was a more challenging game. It all depends on the sort of game you like.

As a final incentive to buy the game, Micro Power are betting you £1 that you cannot finish the game within three months of purchase. If you do crack the puzzle within this time, you not only get your £1, but free entry into the £500 challenge. For more information on Castle Quest, see your local dealer. It's well worth it.