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Who said adventuring was dead? Long live the adventure!

There are bound to be people out there who don't consider an adventure to be an adventure if it's got graphics. There are also bound to be people out there who don't consider Hero Quest to be a real role-playing game because you don't have to sit for interminable hours working out the rules and bribing a friend to spend the same amount of time creating a dungeon and peopling it with weird and wonderful creatures from the Bestiary.

Be that as it may, there are more than a few people who, having finally given in to a go on the board game, have had to admit that Hero Quest is an excellent alternative to the original D&D adventures.

On top of that, give a textonly adventurer a few hours on a text and graphics adventure and, despite the grumblings, you'll be hard put to drag them away from it once the loading screen has disappeared.

So where is all this rambling leading to? A full graphics adventure, based upon the Hero Quest adventure from Gremlin: conclusive evidence that the adventure game is far from dead.

In fact, even a quick dabble with the joystick controls should be enough to convince the die-hards that the full-price adventure game on the CPC is back with a vengeance.

Hero Quest on the computer really is that good and, if you don't believe me, try it for yourselves. I guarantee you'll be hooked from the very beginning.

The story goes something like this: In the beginning, the fell legions of Morcar, Lord of Chaos, swept all goodness from the lands before the dreaded Black Banner.

Then came Rogar the Barbrian, a mightly warrior from the Borderlands, wearing the glittering Star of the West on his brow. Hope returned and he was joined by other heroes; Durgin the dwarf, Ladrin the elven warrior and Telor the wizard: in his quest to destroy the dark legions of Morcar.

Finally the day arrived, and Morcar's troops were destroyed at last. However, the evil lord himself escaped beyond the Sea of Claws with his general, where he plots his revenge to this day.

This is where you come in, vowing to seek out Morcar and his general over 14 breathless adventures, fighting for the triumph of good over evil. Dare you attempt the struggle? Definitely. If you don't, you don't know what you're missing out on.

Starting off, you get the chance to play with the four default characters of Warrior, Dwarf, Elf and Wizard. However, you can change all of the characters' names for yourself and your friends and even choose which magical powers the Elf and Wizard should start off with. The best way to get yourself going is to tackle the first adventure, The Maze, which forms a final test before you go on to the real quests.

Basically, all you need to do is find your way out, the first to do so being rewarded with 100 gold coins.

Viewing the screen, the playing arena is placed centrally, with the various option icons being displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Each player takes it in turn to move, using the very handy dice rolling routine. Simply press fire to stop the dice and use the arrowhead cursor to point your character in the direction of your choice.

Your character's vital statistics of body points and mind points are displayed, along with your wealth, in the top left-hand corner, so it is easy to discern who's roll it is.

In fact, the movements are incredibly easy to pick up, as are the combat routines. Entering a room can be achieved by pressing on the key icon, or by simply positioning the cursor on the door.

If a monster happens to be in the room, approach it and enter combat mode by pressing on the weapon icon. This will then show you a map of the dungeon, allowing you to aim your stroke at the intended victim.

Many of the early monsters are easily killed but, if your attack failed, be prepared for an assault when Morcargets his turn to move.

As the Elf or Wizard, you get the chance to use some magical skills to dispose of the enemy, or to send them to sleep while you do a spot of plundering, which can be very handy indeed.

At all times throughout the quest, use the search icon to check for hidden doors, traps and treasure. This can reveal some very useful information. However, remember that you can only use one icon feature per round, so save your treasure hunting for later if there's an Ore standing in front of you!

The excellent map icon allows you to keep a check on your location at all times, which will save on pencil lead, and help you to remember the quickest route to the exit.

Once you've mastered the maze level, you get the chance to spend your hard earned cash in the equipment room, stocking up on your character's strengths for later quests.

If any character happened to be killed, don't worry. These things happen and, you can always create a new one for a new adventure.

Using the excellent save/load routine in the character section will enable you to keep a much loved character for use whenever you like, whilst using expendable ones if you are in a mercenary frame of mind.

Spells can also be procured from the Book of Speels to keep the elf and wizard up to scratch for the more hazardous missions, so keep collecting the loot for more firepower. Once the maze has been completed, you can move on to the higher quests, such as saving Sir Ragnar from Ulag, the Ore Warlord, or bringing back the three stolen chests of gold from Gulthor, the Chaos Warrior.

The variety of the quests is truly astounding and, when each is accomplished, more booty can be obtained to add to your armoury.

Playing on your own, controlling all or as many of the characters as you like, or with friends, the choice to stick together or hunt alone is entirely yours, though travelling in pairs at least is advisable when the bigger adversaries start coming into play.

Having a magic user and a non-magic user is handy when you come under fire, allowing for an effective defence at all times. Hero Quest is an adventure of outstanding proportions, providing a real challenge for beginners and experts alike. The options are superb and the gameplay is totally addictive at all times.

Adventure lovers should welcome this with open arms, whilst those of you who have never dabbled in the art should get out and try it straight away.

Just remember, dungeons are full of traps and pits, and secret doors don't just jump out in front of you. Keep searching at all times and all will be revealed.

With the promise of additional data disks in the future, bringing even more Hero Quest adventures into the arena, this is one full price offering worth at least twice its weight in gold.

In true dungeon form, the graphics are gloomy and atmospheric, but clear enough to let you know exactly what is going on around you, allowing for excellent gameplay, interrupted only by your deliberations of what to do next.

The choices are entirely yours. Whatever you decide to do, Morcar is waiting, the dungeon door is beckoning and the adventure is only just beginning. Lead on and may the Force of Goodness be with you at all times.