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Indy swings into action on your C64 in the next few weeks as USG launch their latest coin-op biggie. The game follows the plot of the blockbusting sequel to Raiders quite closely. As Indy, you have to find the Sankara Stone, rescue the imprisoned children from the village Mayapore - thus restoring tranquillity to this remote region of mountain India.

Level One had not changed tremendously from the version I looked at last month. It is a fairly absorbing little platform and ladders number in which you have to rescue eight children trapped behind cages in the vast complex of caves.

To rescue the kids Indy simply flicks his whip at the bars of the cage and they rise up - the child is then registered at the foot of the screen in an information panel. This panel also tells you how many Indies you have left.

Using the trusty whip is definitely the most fun part of the game. It is used mainly for wasting the 'Thugees' that patrol the cave. They are persistent Zombie-like characters clad in orange overalls. They look quite effective but are not that difficult to beat once you get the technique right. The knack is to keep on whipping them when they are on the ground to make them fall off the level you are currently on.

It's quite good fun scrapping with the Thugees and other nasties that are scattered through the cave complex - like the snakes and wizards who throw things at you. There are also skeletons set into the wall that you can swing your whip at to earn bonus points.

When you have rescued all the children, or even if you just get fed up with this level, you can then find the entrance to the mineshaft.

The mineshaft scene in the film won awards for the special effects and is possibly one of the most exciting pieces of movie action ever made. Unfortunately, this part of the game won't win any. The graphics leave a lot to be desired and the gameplay fails to re-create the panic and excitement of the original coin-op.

The aim is to get to the end of the mineshaft without your car crashing or being caught by the pursuing Thugees. Again there are bonus points to be earned by flicking the whip.

Level Three places you inside the Temple of Doom itself. This is your chance to reach the Sankara stone. Again you don't need to be in the super league of game-playing proficiency to crack this third and final level. It is a matter of fighting more Thugees and dodging the fireballs thrown by a wizard who appears on-screen every so often. The entrance is guarded by Kali, the four-armed goddess of death. It doesn't end there, though, thankfully, you now have to rescue two further stones - taking you back through the previous levels. When you have three stones you can make good your escape over a rickety rope bridge.

This is a close conversion of the original coin-op in the sense that none of the essential elements have been left out. However, there are question marks about the quality of that game in the first place.

It is basically too easy. Sure, there is the added challenge of seeing how quickly you can complete the game against a ratio of points scored - but I still feel something more arcade-adventure style would have been better. The version reviewed here is the disk version which yes - is multi-load and yes is slightly annoying. Only slightly though, it takes about twenty seconds between levels and to start a new game. USG tell me the multi-load system for the cassette has been improved and "doesn't take too long". Not for me personally - but if you loved the coin-op you shouldn't hesitate.