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Back in the day, after playing a particularly bad game, flicking through a copy of Zzap! or Amtix and staring gormlessly at the boot screen, the thought would arise to the home micro owner: "Hmm, I could write my own game!". And so they did. The resulting, badly-coded BASIC was usually an unplayable mess, but it did make it possible to make a game at home. Using the built-in simple language has its flaws of course, you were never going to create an arcade clone of Street Fighter 2 this way, but decent games can be produced if coded cleverly, with a solid idea behind them. Double Keys! is such an example.

As you would imagine, the game has a simple theme, control the red and blue boys, collect all the keys on each level to progress. Standing in your way are trapdoors, poisonous plants, laser beams and teleporters, but the biggest obstacle is your teamwork ability.

The boys can only collect the coloured keys that match their jerseys, and the opposite colour key acts as a barrier. There are two game modes, single or two player, and even a high score table. With a generous ten lives to lose, fifteen screens of platform puzzling requiring ahead planning, quick movement and, if playing with a friend, co-operation is vital if you are to complete this awesome quest.

As this game is coded in Locomotive BASIC, it is difficult to go too hard on the simple block visuals and most importantly the overall slowness of everything, but looking beyond this, the game itself has some depth, originality and appeal.

It makes a strong case of gameplay over graphics, with some teasing puzzles on some levels, where each boy should go and when, switching between the characters at the right moment with sometimes pin-point accuracy required.

This is even better in two-player mode where you will have to plan together, making a solid co-op experience. It's an enjoyable but short little game, implemented as best as it could be, I feel. Having a little music is very welcome to a BASIC game also, and visually it's pleasant enough. A playable if slow little romp.

When you see the excellent animation and pixel-based movement, it's almost possible to forget that this is a BASIC game. There's slowdown, of course, when anything is moving on screen, but there's also excellent gameplay and some deceptively difficult puzzles.

You won't solve every screen on the first try but you will smile when it finally trips you up.

Presentation 75%
Neat and tidy, with a sweet intro and original level transitions.

Graphics 55%
Colourful, nicely-animated and laid out well, but very simple with minimal details.

Sound 66%
A title screen tune and an in-game tune. Both are welcome to hear, but become repetitive quickly.

Addictive Qualities 60%
Nice controls that respond well, and some tricky levels to work out, but oh my, it's all so slow to move!

Lastability 45%
Half of the levels pose no challenge. Half do, but it's over in minutes. Two player option extends an already short playtime.

Overall 57%