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That number one bad dude, Emperor Bios (God of Destruction) has created eight other evil gods and the've ravaged civilisation. The (former) citizens of the ruins are a mite peeved, and have sent two muscle-bound laser-packing warriors to gently persuade Bios to go away.

Forgotten Worlds is a multi-directionally scrolling shoot-'em-up with power-ups, shops and trillions of aliens. Each level features different backgrounds as you progress through the ruined cities. The creatures - which come in an astonising variety of shapes and sizes - attempt to stop you, but your satellite and firepower can stop them in their tracks. Once an alien has been blasted, it conveniently turns into cash that you can pick up.

Money can be used to buy extra weapons, health, information and various other goods in the shops which pop up on each level. And you really need to get yourself tooled up if you're going to beat that fearsome God!

The end of each level is guarded by one of Bios' chums, who wll happen to be evil gods. As well as being visually different, they all have their own forms of deadly attack. The first is Paramesium, a circular metallic creature, surrounded by a protective ring of drones.

Next is the Fiery Dragon. Then things start to have an Egyptian flavour, as the God of War and the Sphix rear their ugly heads. You battle through these nasties until you reach Bios himself - a winged demon on a throne!

Once inside the shop, the collected dosh can be sploshed on helpful items. Here's a selection of the best choices:

1. Rocket
   At 5000 zennies, heat-seeking missiles are cheap and highly effective. Stock up early in the game!
2. Flask
   This potion of resurrection starts in price at 3,000 zennies, and adds an extra life.
3. Burner
   A spiffy weapon that creates sheets of flame for attack. A whopping 20,000 zennies.
4. Vitality
   This increases the length of the hero's life meter, giving a chance to take more damage before dying.
5. Laser
   There are three types of lasers, going from weedy to the rather fab "bendy" lasers.
6. Health
   Fills the life meter to the brim, allowing yet more punishment to be taken. The cost? From 300 to 10,000.
7. Armour
   Protects the hero from damage until the armour is destroyed.
8. Booster
   Classic power-up for the standard weapon. Can be purchased up to three times - if the dosh is forthcoming!

From the moment Forgotten Worlds starts, it screams quality. I don't think I've seen better graphics on a Megadrive shoot-'em-up: it has some superb parallax scrolling, and best of all, you get to shoot hordes of alien scum with ridiculously large weapons - pure bliss!

Arcade perfect, with loads of extras and special effects, the only let-down is the music. It's not bad, but not up to the standard of the rest of the game. This is a brilliant, addictive game - I want to have its babies!

Forgotten Worlds certainly gives you the chance to work out that itchy trigger finger! There's a whole pile of baddies just waiting to be blown away in this frantic shoot-'em-up. I like the idea of collecting cash to buy extra weapons, as it adds a little bit of strategy to the action - do you power-up now, or save your cash for an even more powerful weapon on the next level?

The graphics are excellent - very similar to the coin-op - and the sound is good, again faithful to the original machine. My only gripe is that experienced gamers might find themselves completing the game fairly quickly due to the easy "Normal" level. However, on the "Hard" level, the game offers a challenge that'll tax even the swiftest of reflexes.

Give it a go if you fancy a good blast!

Presentation 88%
Cartoon-like frames between levels and the shop options make this a treat.

Graphics 91%
There's no faulting the brilliant scrolling and sprites!

Sound 79%
Not up to the standard of the rest of the game, but good nonetheless.

Playability 88%
Tricky to get the hang of, but once you do the blasting's terrific!

Lastability 82%
Easy on the "normal" level; tough on "hard". However, it's got so many features you'll keep returning!

Overall 85%
A superb conversion - arcade perfect and loads of fun!