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While a year is undoubtedly a very long time in the games software scene, there must be very few people out there who have forgotten US Gold's conversion of the arcade classic, Gauntlet. Certainly US Gold won't forget it, it gave them what was probably their biggest ever hit (at least until Out Run hit the shelves this Christmas).

So how does Gauntlet II compare with its illustrious predecessor?

Well, firstly, allow me a brief moan on behalf of the Ancient Society of C64 Owners. I know that the ST is a more powerful machine, but even so, ST owners do seem to be getting a far better deal for their hard-earned than your good selves. For a start, US Gold are apparently making available a special add-on which will allow Atari users to play Gauntlet II in *four-player mode*, just like the huge dedicated coin-op. Perhaps even harder to forgive is the fact that some of the major enhancements to be found in the Make II version of the coin-op have been included in the ST version - but not in the C64. This means, for instance, that the truly awesome dragon nasty has been left out of the version you'll be playing.

All of which means that when you load up Gauntlet II, you might be forgiven for concluding that it's really just more of the same, though that isn't in fact entirely fair.

As in the original, you and your mate (if you've got one handy) get to choose between any one of Thor (the warrior - tough, not much cop at magic), Thyra (the Valkyrie - hardy, reasonably good fighter, OK at magic), Merlin (the wizard - OK at shooting, naff hand-to-hand, great with the spells) or Questor (the elf - not quite such a weakling as Merlin, but not as clever with the mystical forces). There's one refinement here - you can both choose to be the same character, with different colour clothing to differentiate.

The object is, as any fule kno, is to waste as many nasties and pick up as many keys, potions, amulets, boxes of treasure other goodies and of course, points, for as long as you can prolong your health. At each level, you've got to locate an exit and use it - one some (notably level three) one special power, potion of (if you've got none of either) a cool hundred points worth of health. There are also acid puzzles (unhealthy but easy to avoid), stun tiles (freeze you for a few seconds), transporters which move you from one part of a level to another, flashing force fields which drain your energy when they're on and you connect with them, and even the occasional movable walls. Exits sometimes move about too, or, even more irritatingly, turn out to be false.

Your weapons can also be enhanced for example, rebounding off a maximum of three walls instead of breaking up on initial contact.

The graphics in Gauntlet II seem a wee bit better than on I, but the sound is still average-to-naff.

So, by now most of you'll have got the picture: what we have here is Gauntlet with a not more thrown in, a few more little touches and refinements, some of which undoubtedly add to the enjoyment of this already thoroughly enjoyable - and seriously tough - C64 classic.