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Could Roderick Hero be the man to let the miners live to fight another day? It seems there is trouble at the old mine. A group of miners have been trapped in the labyrinthine mineshafts of Mount Leone by the lava and debris of a hyperactive volcano and superhero Roderick plans to live up to his name by coming to their rescue.

The trouble is Roderick Hero is a bit like a fish out of water... all his special gear is close by but he needs your guiding hand to point him in the right direction. So plug in the joystick and away he'll go on his search.

To assist his movement in the vertical shafts and cavernous voids, Roderick has a propeller pack strapped to his back turning him instantly into a human helicopter and enabling him to step into any abyss without hesitation. But this is not all. There's his microlaser beam which he uses to blast his way, although somewhat slowly, through any obstructive walls in the mine, as well as dispose of the "vile vermin" liberally scattered in the passages and intent on bringing his rescue mission to a premature end.

And there is dynamite too. Six sticks of it, which can be placed at the base of any wall to effect a much quicker demolition job. But be careful. Roderick, too, can be blown away by the blast and there are only three of him in the game.

A further advantage comes in the shape of heat resistant rafts. These are there to help Roderick effect a safe passage on the white lot lava rivers.

But let's not forget the object of the game - the miners. Roderick has to locate one on every level before being allowed to move deeper into the mine. The quicker he does it, the more points there are to be had and at every 20,000ft there's an extra Roderick.

A nice touch is that the instruction leaflet contains six tips for playing the game.

Hero isn't particularly brilliant and lacks that addictive quality necessary for a chart-topped, but it's quite nicely done.