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The original Centipede coin-op was very much used to promote the image of Dona Bailey, hailed as the first female arcade engineer/programmer, and the game was very popular with the fairer sex because of this. But in reality this 1980 coin-eater was very much the work of Atari legend Ed Logg - the man behind hits such as Asteroids, Gauntlet and Xybots. Centipede was also the game that made the quirky Atari trackball famous (later seen in Crystal Castles and Marble Madness), a controller that gave the player very quick movement around a small area, ideal for a fast action shoot 'em up such as this.

The huge success of the game saw it converted to a multitude of home formats, both officially and unofficially, the BBC included. Perhaps the most famous version for the Beeb is the one from Superior Software, which was a more than competent clone of the coin-op. So you might ask yourself why the game needed to be remade once again? Well, programmer Richard Broadhurst, A.K.A. Tricky from the Stardot forum, was hungry for a more arcade authentic port of the game so set about making this new version to achieve just that. So let's find out if he pulled it off!

In Centipede the player has to defend themselves against swarms of insects and bugs including the giant Centipede himself, who must be destroyed in order to complete the level. This is very much an early example of a boss character in a video game as he is central to completing the level and requires multiple hits to destroy. You control what was always assumed was some sort of bug sprayer at the bottom of the screen (but is often shown in artwork as a gnome!) who can shoot as well as move around the screen. This movement is not just left and right, as you also have limited movement up and down, which is especially useful if the Centipede makes his way to the bottom of the screen.

All over the play field are mushrooms which can be blasted out the way and will also cause the centipede to move down the screen faster as he bumps into them. The Centipede itself takes many hits to destroy, as I previously mentioned, and a key part of this is that you must take out each one of his sections. As you shoot him these will actually split off and even move down the screen independently so you need to try and be as accurate as possible. If any part of him manages to get to the bottom of the screen he grows back a section, causing even more chaos.

The Centipede isn't the only foe to watch out for though as other enemies litter the screen, each with their own characteristics. The spider, for example, jumps around erratically, the fleas shoot down the screen at you and the scorpions poison the mushrooms, causing the Centipede to mutate if he touches them. The Centipede and the other enemies also get faster moving as the game progresses.

When it comes to getting the look right Richard absolutely nailed it here. The BBC's bright colour palette is very well suited to replicating the similarly vibrant tones of the arcade original and, unlike all the previous versions of Centipede for the BBC, this one also plays in the correct aspect ratio too! It's not just the graphics that impress however - he also did a great job on the audio as well with a lovely title tune and nicely noisy ingame effects. The controls options couldn't be more accurate and comprehensive either as you can select between keyboard, joystick and trackball control. For a final flourish of arcade authenticity, there's a high score table present to preserve all your achievements.

There really are very few negatives that I can pick out here! The only thing I can think of is that it might have been nice if Richard had added a two-player mode, like the excellent Atari 7800 port. But this is a very minor moan and doesn't detract from an otherwise excellent game.

I have always been an absolutely huge fan of Centipede and also have a great affection for the BBC Micro from my school days – so this is almost a perfect mix! This is without a doubt one of the best 8-bit ports of the famous arcade game out there and a must play game for all BBC owners. What's even better is that it can be downloaded for free from the Stardot forum. So what are you waiting for? Grab that can of bug spray and get blasting!