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In the introductory paragraph of the manual the coquettish Elvira announces, "It's not very often I get out of bed for a man," but that's exactly what she does for us here. Still, never mind, lads - there's a job to be done, and happily the three-stage, ghoul-ridden arcade adventure she hops out of bed for is actually rather good.

Those who played the demo on a recent Amiga Power coverdisk will know that already, of course - the game sees Elvira strut her elegant, long-legged stuff with panache, in one of the most absorbing walk-crouch-and-jump-'em-ups I've seen in a long time.

Beautifully detailed baddies swagger onto screen smoothly, and disappear (on the business end of our buxom babe's weaponry or magic spells) with similar attention to detail. The backdrops look wonderful, the animation is as smooth as one would like to imagine our heroine's undergarments, and the eight-way scrolling shifts the parallax scenery around with ease.

Elvira can chuck sharp-edged hardware around, and also collect magic potions as she goes, which can then be used at any subsequent point in the game. Don't waste them though - fireballs, invincibility and a first aid spell (to name just three) need to be cast at strategic points to prove most effective. For example, the 'Feather Fall Spell' gives Elvira the ability to fall from heights and drift down to a safe landing - very handy, but probably best kept in reserve until a suitable drop rears its vertigo-inducing head. Don't worry if you're totally stuck without the correct potion - this being a traditional arcade adventure you get shop sequences where a friendly Trader allows Elvira to swap one of her collected potions for one of his.

This way you can be sure to have the right bottle at the right time (if you manage to find him at all, that is).

I mentioned three stages back there, didn't I? You see, at the start of the game you get to chose whether you want to play either Arctic Earth (snow, ice and more snow) or the Underworld Of Fire (fireballs and demons) - take your pick, but both have to be completed before you're allowed to progress to the Castle. Emerge victorious from this final level and the title Queen Elvira of Transylvania is yours (or, erm, hers).

Don't worry about the size of the game either - three levels might not sound like very much, but they're all big and tough, and packed with a whole halloween-party full of baddies. There's a definite puzzle element to much of it too, a sudden loss of life informing you that a quick trigger finger isn't all you're going to need to ensure victory. On your next approach to whatever particular trap it was that killed you, select your chosen weapon with a bit more cunning, and use the old grey-matter. There's nothing here too mind-bending - just enough to keep you on your toes.

Elvira moves as well as we all imagine she would, and it's easy to see that a lot of thought has gone into her animation (tap the pause button when she's halfway through changing direction mid-jump for a better look). In fact the whole presentation of this game is of a high, professional standard. The chilling soundtracks at the start, the click of stiletto on granite as Elvira hits the ground - this is a finely groomed product through and through.

The only real complaint I have is that when the action hots up, Elvira's dagger-throwing arm isn't quite quick enough. It's beautifully animated, but all too often the baddies are on top of you before you have time to unleash your hardware. But this is being finicky - if this style of (albeit slightly dated) game is what lights your fire then it's quite possible that Elvira could be the girl of your dreams.

Highly polished arcade adventure that's a real joy to play. Elvira moves like a dream, as she struts her stuff through three big levels. No gameplay surprises, but a fine example of a tried 'n trusted formula.