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The arcade game makers can be as guilty as the software programmers in relying on a successful formula. Green Beret, or as it was nauseatingly described in America, Russian Attack, is another rightwards scrolling game in the mode of Kung-Fu Master, and the just converted Ghosts And Goblins.

Like the latter, it cannot be denied that Green Beret is fast action. The kind of the thing that will always succeed if it is done properly. And there's no denying that the Imagine team haven't made a bad job of this despite the odd glitch.

"Rescue the captives" is the simple message you are told as the game begins and your man runs past a group of struggling soldiers tied to poles.

Stab the Fire button and you're transported to the beginning of the game fifty or so screens away from the hostages. A drum begins a pulsating military tattoo that lasts until the game gets turned off. A siren sounds to alert the guards and you begin your run through the first level.

Immediately you'll realise the odds you're up against. There's an array of guards armed with bazookas, machine guns and deadly kicks. There's crawling troops, mortar emplacements, parachutists and gyrocopters. Your only protection is your knife and your wits. Occasionally you'll kill one of the white troops and collect a special weapon that'll give you three shots. The flamethrower is the best of these, sending a huge orange jet across the screen. Great fun.

The thing that'll strike you most is how little time you have to think. There's no rest spots in this game. Delay only makes matters worse as troops rush out in greater numbers - and more often than not - shoot you in the back.

You'll find you need to hit the dirt a lot if you're going to survive. Lying down and stabbing is particularly effective because you're below the level of fire from machine gunners and bazooka carriers.

Should you suffer the misfortune of an early death among the sniper fire and mortar shells, which seems likely, you won't suffer the anguish of being sent back to the beginning. You'll begin at a predetermined position along the way.

Each level ends with a particularly mean challenge. Level one has a truckload of reinforcements turn up. The sub base has a pack of guard dogs unleashed on you, and level three has three gyrocopters careering around the screen. The knife will suffice for all of them, but it's worth saving a few shots from your special weapon to deal with these moments of crisis.

The graphics throughout are splendid. Your main is of a reasonable size, something I always like to see. Small characters make you screw your eyes up a bit. He is well animated as are all the troops, and the backgrounds are colourful. There's only one real colour clash and that's in the container area on level two where your man gets a bit lost against the black crates. Otherwise, despite the odd glitch, it's very easy on the eye and effective.

The sound throughout has all the quality we've come to expect from Martin Gallway. There's a massive loading tune, that persistent drumbeat and a myriad of sound effects like explosions, gunshots and sirens - all adding to the atmosphere of the game.

Green Beret has definitely been worth the wait. It's all here, with every aspect packed in to the 64K of the Commodore. Although I get the impression the actual gameplay can become a little wearing with its charge, stab, charge, stab routine, I think you'll be playing this one for a long time. It's a really tough challenge, believe me, and no game is ever quite the same given the timing of your movements.

In giving this a screen star I add the rider that I'd like to see something new done with the C64 for a change.