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The Hewson Crimbo Binge continues with City Slicker. Not the first game to be set in London, this one involves Slick - a la City Slicker - who has been hired by Forces Official But Nameless to defuse a set of bombs left in the Houses of Parliament by Abru Cadabra, notorious terrorist and explosive practitioner.

These bombs will go off at midnight unless Slick can assemble the various bits of the MOD's Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) which for security reasons are scattered around London, goodness knows where. He doesn't even know how many bits there are to get. The Forces OBN sure believe in security.

He can travel around the capital, as most capitalists do, by tube. As he manages to obtain the bits of the BDU he must transport them back to his secret hideout beneath the Houses of Parliament. And only when he's assembled them all can he defuse the bombs.

Around London he can pick up and examine things at will. He's limited to carrying six things at once though, and some objects are just concealed entries and exits.

The player sees the name of the object as Slick bumps into it and a short stab on the old fire button picks it up or activates it. A little keybashing can make Slick drop any object in his inventory and this can have profound effects on the situation.

Ever true to life, Slick can fall various heights. The farther he falls, the more energy he loses. To overcome minor problems like fatigue and lack of sleep, he starts of with three pep pills which he can pop when required. And in best gaming tradition, food appears from time to time for Slick to avail himself of.

London has around seven million citizens, so it's not entirely surprising that Slick bumps into one or two on his search. Like real Londoners, they have various endearing traits. Some enjoy picking up objects, others bug Slick or bash him up a bit. Still others leap around the place and leave doors open.

If one of the more kleptomaniacal citizens grabs something which Slick has designs on, then our hero needs to drop something heavy on the offender and then snatch whatever it is before the bouncee has recovered.

Failing that, Slick can grab the guy and throw him off a high place, followed by a similar trick to recover the dropped object. Next time you're in London and pick up something, don't be surprised to find yourself halfway down St PauI's and heading in the wrong direction.

The time now is Eight Ay Emm precisely. With the chimes of Big Ben to help you keep track of time, you have only 16 hours to fox the evil Abru. But if he catches you before you get the bomb, it's towels for you and the Houses of Parliament, so be ready to leg it if His Swarthyness claps his eyes on you. But with London Transport to help you, how can you fail?

Anyone who has been on a tube party or who has wandered round the capital with a bottle in one hand and a bemused but happy grin adorning his face will enjoy playing this game.

You meander round London picking things up and evading bullies who push you around and sometimes take whatever you happen to be carrying.

You are trying to build a bomb disassembly unit to defuse the bomb Abru has set in the Houses of Parliament. Rather a pity it's not the other way round... I've always had a soft spot for Guy Fawkes.

If you thought that dreadful B movies went out when colour came in then you haven't seen Big Trouble In Little China - I fell asleep. [And why not? - Ed].

Similarly if you thought that flickery sprites with a trite storyline went out with rubber keyboard Spectrums you haven't seen City Slicker. A Jet Set Jelly clone, Hewson can and has done better. I'd like to find some redeeming factors, but I can't.

Mixed feelings about this one, people. I saw the cassette blurb first and thought "Oh goodie, a novel game. With humour yet".

Then I ran it and groaned inwardly. "Another hoary old platform game". Then I played it. And now I'm not so sure. Yes, it's another Manic Miner type of game, but yes it has bits of humour and is a definite advancement on the run-of-the-ladder standard (London Standard?).

The graphics aren't any better than Spectrum types, and the game itself is difficult, perhaps too much so for a novice. And the Beefeaters look like Boy George. And but, and but, and but, I think you'll like it.