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The year is 2016, and the Earth is ravaged by global war. However, peace conventions in the 1990s banned the use of nuclear weapons and all the fighting is carried out by super-powerful vehicles. One man is a mite peeved at all the devastation going on around him, so it's fortunate he is the owner of the legendary Granada X tank, the most powerful ever, and as a result is in a good position to do something about it. His plan of action is to randomly attack military enemy sites and forces until everyone sees the error of their ways and stops shooting each other.

Granada X is another Megadrive shoot-'em-up, but this time it's got a few original ideas such as top-view multi-directional playfields and a novel control system. As usual though, there are lots of nasties to shoot, lots of extra weapons to shoot them with and, of course, those end-of-level guardians to contend with.

Unlike most Megadrive shoot-'em-ups, Granada X scrolls in eight directions. Each level is set in a maze-like location in which several specific targets are located. Granada must hunt these down and destroy them to complete the level. Their approximate location is shown on a small radar screen, but finding them is still tricky since many of them move around.

1. Stage One The first port of call is a peaceful section of the Tobora district. Watch out for the horrific flying fortress, Gible, at the end of the level.

2. Stage Two The battle moves to the flying battleship, Astarsha. It can only be destroyed by blowing up each of the massive engines on the wings.

3. Stage Three Noted for its high-altitude highways, the Shuba district is deadly. The boss here is the lethal Valsac. Blast or be blasted!

4. Stage Four Night falls as Granada reaches the Kilomoto district, and eerie search lights illuminate the area. Can you survive long enough to face the deadly guardian?

Being a miracle of modern warefare, you'd expect Granada X to have some decent weapons to play with, and you'd be perfectly correct. Your tank starts out with two cannons - a standard rapid fire laser which is best used against large numbers of small opponents and a monster destruction plasma cannon, sixteen times more powerful than the regular laser!

However, it's only single-shot, and the considerable recoil experienced when launching this death-dealin' projectile could push you over the edge of a skyway if you're not careful!

Granada also has some topper support units, such as a flying disc which sprays laser fire all around, homing missiles and even spinning shield bombs.

Blilmey! It's a shoot-'em-up on the Megadrive! I haven't seen a hundred million of these before, honest. It must be said that the genre is wearing thinner than Paul Daniels' hair, but Granada X fortunately has more redeeming features than said magician.

The maze-like structure and seek-and-destroy missions put it a cut above the standard linear scroll blasters, and the sheer variety between levels mean that there's plenty here to keep you coming back.

If you're buying a new shoot-'em-up and want something different, go for this.

Don't judge this book by its cover! On the surface, Granada X is a sad sham of small feeble-looking sprites and rather naff backgrounds. Get into it though, and you find a really original and challenging blaster which tests the mettle of even the toughest of shoot-'em-up addicts.

The game gets better the further you go and on later levels there's a frenzied assault on your tank - if your reflexes aren't up to scratch, it's goodnight Vienna! Granada X doesn't rank as an absolute must, but if you're a fan of difficult-to-complete, fast-action games, check this out.

Presentation 80%
A fair few options and interesting controls.

Graphics 71%
Titchy sprites and reasonable backgrounds.

Sound 70%
The BGM isn't too hideous, and the effects are pretty good.

Playability 85%
Much more depth than your average shoot-'em-up, and great fun to boot.

Lastability 80%
Quite a few not-too-easy levels and only three continues mean that there's plenty here to keep you challenged.

Overall 82%
An addictive and original blaster which is well worth checking out.