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When I was a kid, I used to watch all those spy programmes, like The Man From UNCLE, The Avengers, The Prisoner (didn't understand it!) and The Saint, to name but a few. One of my favourite programmes was Mission Impossible. I wanted to be a secret agent.

When I grew up a bit, I realised you could get hurt doing that kind of thing. But now I can return to my childhood ambition from the comfort and safety of my home with Epyx's chart-topping recreation of those halcyon days: Impossible Mission.

The game itself bears no real resemblance to the series, which is just as well, it would be a bit of a rip-off if the tape self-destructed after five seconds. Billed as an "action game", it has adventure undertones, is joystick controlled, and has impressive arcade-style screens.

Your mission (should you accept it, of course) is to stop a nutty professor from triggering a nuclear attack that will destroy the world. Penetrate his underground stronghold, evade the robot guards, break the security code, and find the control centre. Simple as that. Well, not really.

The game has two integrated parts. In the first, you must search the 32 rooms in the stronghold and secure the passwords. This constitutes the most enjoyable part of the game. You travel up and down the complex in a lift searching for the articles in each room where the absent-minded professor has secreted the passwords. You do this by standing in front of each item and holding the joystick forward. You can also find 'snooze' symbols which you can deactivate the robots with, or lift symbols which put the platforms back in their original positions - useful for leaving a room intact, or returning to it later.

Each room is divided up into a series of catwalks through which you work your way platform-style, avoiding the nasty robots. You do this by subterfuge and a quick snap of your joystick button, which causes your agent to somersault stylish out of trouble. This man is cool! Occasionally though, your man will lose his bottle and freeze on the spot. Then you get tried - that costs you time, and you've only got six hours to save the world!

On to the second part. When you have collected enough passwords, log into your 'pocket computer'. You now have to put the pieces together to form a computer punch card. I must admit I had a bit of trouble cracking this bit, but if you get fed up you can always go and search a few more rooms. Nine puzzles, four pieces per puzzle. Earn extra pieces in the code rooms by arranging musical notes in ascending order.

Impossible Mission will have you hooked. The sound effects throughout are delightful. Apart from the constant electric buzzing of bad-tempered robots, you get the voice of the mad professor setting them on you. I especially like the eerie, echoing footsteps of agent 4125 as he runs down the corridors. Best of all is the horrible, strangled yell he lets out when he falls through a hole in the floor and off the screen.

The graphics are exceptionally sharp and realistic, whilst the game has enough elements to provide constant variation. You have to think about what you're doing rather than just react to situations. And if you get smart enough to solve it all and save the world, you can start again with everything rearranged. Do you accept this mission? I do.