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Codemasters seem to be able to chuck out cute, colourful arcade games at the drop of a hat. None of this two-years-in-development, type-it-up-and-let-everyone-rave-about-it for them; they seem to be happy to just bang t'em out every couple of months without waiting to see whether the last one actually sold or not.

It's been a long while since we've seen a real scorcher of a game from the Codies and if this is anything to go by we're going to have to wait just a bit longer...

Austen Von Flyswatter has given up his ideas of becoming a world dictator. It's an overcrowded markey and there's only ever one vacancy. In his disgust he's gone on a retreat to the moon, but, being as evil as he is, he's nicked the world's largest diamond collection on his way. Sounds likea job for a superhero, buy unluckily there's all on holiday, which means it's a job for (slight fanfare) Captain Ernest P. Dynamo...

Dynamo's been in retirement for a while and it shows (his middle-aged spread's turned to old aged fat), but he speeds to the moon anyway and finds that Flyswatter has spread the diamonds around his lair. He's going to have to get them all back before he goes home, and it'd probably be a good idea to give Von Flyswatter is bit of a seeing to at the same time.

Captain Dynamo's graphics artists seem to have run out of ideas after the first level. It looks quite eye catching at first, with a neat use of shading to create a metallic, dark feel. Unfortunately that's about it. Moving through the levels turns up no variety in the visuals. It's a pity because, with a little work, they could have really gone to town on the sci-fi thing (well, it is set on the moon).

Dynamo is one of those brave (stupid?) super-heroes who never uses weapons, so he has to resort to jumping on all the weird creatures that patrol the caverns. He may be old and fat but you're the one lumbered with getting him through the levels solving the so-called puzzles. Most of these puzzles are limited to timing your jumps right though, so it's hardly brain teasing stuff.

Did I mention the sound? No? There's a good reason for that: it's awful. Make sure you play with the volume right down or your pet cat will join in with a chorus of its own.

Dynamo will undoubtedly appeal to younger players. There are a great many more challenging games out there; they may be a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. Initially this may be fun, but it seeon gets boring because of the lack of variety in the graphics and action. Cheap and tacky!

It's too easy and too slow. With no variety in the graphics and a soundtrack your mother will kill you for playing loud, give it a wide berth.