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Codemasters ditch Dizzy and opt for helicopter gunships in their latest arcade game. Rob Mead takes a look...

The Lafian government is in trouble - their fragile democracy is under threat from a cartel of ruthless drug barons who are prepared to do anything to maintain their illicit trade. In an act of desperation the Lafians call upon the might of the US Army to help them deal with the problem and this is where you come in to play.

You're the pilot of a helicopter gunship based on USS Excalibur. Your mission is to retrieve US agents from behind enemy lines and cause as much damage to the drug dealers' operation as possible.

Firehawk is an arcade shoot-'em-up which features seven increasingly difficult missions centred on the islands of the Lafian Republic. You're given three lives and a wealth of ammunition to start with, but this soon turns to nothing as you get bogged down in the drug barons' awesome firepower. Unfortunately, keeping your finger jammed down on the Fire button isn't an option - you soon run out of ammo if you do, and have to rely on your consummate skills as a pilot instead.

To help you there are various power-up icons and weapon collectibles which at least ensure you're going to stay in the air that bit longer. As you fly over the islands an arrow guides you towards a stranded agent. Once there, the arrow turns into a target square and you enter the next part of the game - the Para Rescue section. A rope is lowered, ready for the agent to climb up, but suddenly you're attacked by a squadron of helicopters - you have to keep them at bay, until the agent climbs the rope and then you can return to the safety of the USS Excalibur.

Surprisingly enough, Firehawk turns out to be a frighteningly addictive game. OK, so the plot's not up to much, but there's enough action and tension in the gameplay to keep you glued to your ST.

As you manoeuvre your gunship around the islands you're attacked by enemy planes, helicopters, tanks, boats and bunkers - you really have your work cut out trying to stay one step ahead of the opposition. Rescuing the agents is no easy task either - they run for cover when the enemy choppers loom into view and, even when they're nearly home, they can still fall off the rope and you have to start again. You die often and, frustratingly, there are no continues or passwords, so you have to start all over again.

The joystick controls are difficult to get the hang of at first - pushing up moves you only in the direction you're currently facing, so you have to do plenty of manoeuvring to get to where you want to go. Graphically, Firehawk isn't startling, but the sprites are well animated and with 360 degree scrolling, there's more than enough variety in the gameplay. The sound effects are pretty good too.

Firehawk is an exciting shoot-'em-up with plenty of arcade thrills and spills. The plot's hardly original, but the game offers plenty of addictive gameplay and is going to have you screaming at your ST and pulling your hair out in frustration.

Addictive and frustrating in equal measure, Firehawk is going to have you perched on the edge of your seat.

The joystick controls are a bit tricky at first and you have to start all over again when you die.