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As those readers of more advanced years may well know, there comes a stage in every brat's life - usually the first ten years - when the greatest fun imaginable is to cause trouble, strife and general mayhem. (The next ten years are similar, but usually involve sex at some point). Gremlin Graphics, who are presumably not too keen on the latter, have produced Jack The Nipper, just for those who thrill to be three.

Starring role in this rattling game is the aforementioned Jack, a romper-suited child of indeterminate age who toddles about town with mischief in mind. Various implements of destruction lie scattered in time-honoured fashion about the place, and the skill lies in removing these to the areas in which they can do most damage. Pitted against the lad in this worthy cause are various adults (or wimps as the sleeve notes have it), including shopkeepers, siblings, parents and policemen (Constable Dribble, no doubt).

Contact with any of these brings on a spate of nappy rash (there's always a sting in the tail), and this ultimately leads to the cute one's demise. Unlike the real thing, however, there appears little which otherwise endangers the precocious infantile anarchist, so maximum effort can be expended in pursuit of the practical joke. Access to the desired objects with which to do the damage is generally difficult, involving leaping about on shelves, work tops and walls (owners of real live young 'uns will appreciate the highly realistic sprog simulation here). Only two items can be held - to be precise, pocketed- at once, and it is not easy to work out where to drop them. Some, like the flower killer, are a little more obvious than others, such as the bomb (what kind of a town is this to bring a young lad up in?).

There are numerous locations to be explored, ranging from a denture factory to a graveyard which is suitably spook-infested. The ghosts, fortunately enough, seem to be vulnerable to a well-aimed pea from a well-aimed peashooter. Perhaps Jack would be happier in Ghostbusters. The peashooter has similarly devastating effects on other fragile items, but the police cat is apparently immune to small-bore weapons. Unfortunately for Jack, but fortunately for the phantoms, the peashooter disintegrates on dropping.

Still, the worst the dead can do is impart a dose of nappy rash, so our junior exorcist remains unzapped to continue on his naughtiness. Another example of the lack of civil awareness in this mythical town is the ease in which our hero can breeze into the cells of the local nick and liberate a few of the inmates. They'll have a bit of explaining to do when they get rounded up.

The graphics are well designed, the music can be turned off, and the animation is smooth and precise. The puzzles require a bit of thought, and a lot of planning, so allocate a good few hours for this game. All in all a polished effort from the Northern Gremlins.

The concept of Jack the Nipper appeals to me - toddler trouble, junior japes - call it what you will. The Mode 1 graphics are oh so pretty with a black outline to give a cartoon effect. As you play the role of Jack a broad grin grows on your face, and a warm feeling of glee glows within you as you cause untold mayhem.

Going into the china shop to smash plates is the kind of recreation that any tot would love to take part in. I cannot fault the programming, I cannot fault the game design and I cannot fault the graphics yet I suspect that once I have completed the game I will not return to it. But that awaits me... I've still the rating of Goody Goody.

When a new game arrives from Gremlin you don't know what to expect, all their stuff is so different. Bounder was so different to Thing On A Spring which in turn is nothing like Jack The Nipper. All you can be sure of is that the program will be worth the shekels.

Jack The Nipper is a problem solving program in the style of a Wally game. The locations are fun, the micro shop a great place to cause trouble - I have a habit of going into computer shops to wind up salesmen, asking them questions I know they can't answer. If only I could find out how to release the prisoners.

Jack The Nipper is a fun program which offers good value and proves that the budget game has not yet wiped out the full price title.

When the mega-cute advertising caught my eye, I thought "No, it can't be that bad". Well, it is and it isn't. The sprites are large and Beano-style (do I detect a Sweeny Toddler influence here?), even if the mother of the piece bears a striking resemblance to the muesli-chomping middle-class mum created by Posy in the Guardian. So cute it definitely is. But there's a lot of schoolboy humour there in wall posters and visual gags. The plot and gamesplaying aspect is much thinner, owing more than a little to Wally Week et al, but if you like The Dandy, then you'll love this.