Frank Gasling needs no introduction in the C64 community, with his efforts to find and preserve lost games reaching legendary status. Many of the games he's unearthed were due for release during Zzap!'s initial run but, for one reason or another, they never quite made it. We thought it might be fun to look back at these games and give them the review they would have got, if they hadn't slipped through the cracks. First up, Paul looks at Karl Hornell's 'shrooming sequel, Fungus II.

A mere 35 years after his first outing, Fungus is back! Well, he's been back for a few years, but he's about to be released physically unto the world in this sequel to one of Players' finest budget games (80%, Issue 19). To compensate for his age, this latest game is a more leisurely affair than the fast-moving first, with Fungus able to walk left and right at will in his efforts to collect mushrooms and bricks. The height of each level varies in steps, so Fungus will need to do plenty of leaping if he wants to clear them all.

Naturally, it's not a mere walk in the park as hostile creatures roam around every stage. What's worse is they appear and disappear whenever and wherever they like, and with no way to destroy them, Fungus must be on his guard at all times. There are teleporters on each level though, and these handily allow Fungus to bypass areas, which saves the need for endless backtracking.

Each level has a tight time limit, but should Fungus manage to collect everything and get back to the starting point before time expires, it's onto the next level to do it all over again.

I enjoyed the original Fungus up to a point, but eventually it became too difficult and I grew tired of it. This belated sequel is played at a more sedate pace, and consequently I found myself wanting to play it more.

That's not to say it's easy, but now it's possible to stay still, survey your surroundings and plot your moves... well, to a degree as there's a very tight time limit to deal with too!

I found the controls a bit sticky at times which was frustrating, but on the whole it's easier to make progress than in the original. The levels are pretty samey, but Fungus II would have made a nice little budget game and it's worth a look for fans of the original, or platformers in general.

Presentation 90%
Two different sets of levels, and a number of fun customisation options.

Graphics 76%
Fairly effective isometric 3D, with reasonable definition and animation all round.

Sound 77%
The music and FX are pleasant, but distinctly average.

Hookability 77%
It's fun to catch up with Fungus.

Lastability 68%
Enjoyable, but does become a bit too repetitive.

Overall 71%
A decent sequel which just about deserves its belated release.