Piloting a Rocket Copter, your mission is to enter and destroy Fort Apocalypse.

Descending into the first level of defence, you must rescue eight prisoners scattered around the complex. You'll have to manoeuvre through caves, blast impact shields, navigate hyper chambers and flee from rotating field envelopes. As if that's not enough, the tanks, choppers and mines are hot on your trail, and your fuel running low. Completing the Draconis level allows you access to the Crystalline Caves and eventually to the main target itself, Fort Apocalypse.

Gravity, pilot skill and number of rocket copters (lives) each have three selectable settings so you have a wide range of challenge. At the top of the screen is the Navatron, a miniature view of the immediate terrain. The game starts with your yellow copter hovering over a fuel station which you must land on to refuel. The copter faces forward, left or right. Pressing the fire button when facing front releases bombs, missiles if facing left or right. Graphically superb and to the realistic sound of rotating blades, the copter responds smoothly to the joystick's movements.

Flying over mountainous country in search of the cave entrance soon has you encountering floating mines. These can be shot or flown around. More difficult are the blue robo-choppers which are armed with missiles and relentlessly hunt you down. Ground based tanks scurry back and forth, letting fly with drone missiles which pursue you for a short distance before falling away.

Bombing a hole through the portal below, you enter the caverns. Now the game is filled with sound and fury. When you find a landing pad, touch down - the game restarts from this point if you lose a life. The prisoners are in different locations, running about on the ground. To make a rescue you have to swoop low and touch one. All eight must be saved before you can gain entrance to the next level.

Fort Apocalypse is a magnificent game in every respect. For graphics, sound, playability, concept and execution, this program is the tops.