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Another cheap adventure that seems to have had little mention in its Amstrad reincarnation is Kentilla, from Mastertronic, This game had good reviews when it was launched on the Spectrum and proved to be not an easy game to conquer. The Amstrad version has been out for some time but little has been done to remind would-be players of its existence.

Nothing is said on the cassette inlay, or at the beginning of the adventure, about the background story or what you are expected to achieve. Death is constantly around the corner and this, together with the uncertainty of your final destination, could well put off many players - especially in such a complex and devious game.

Location descriptions are generally fairly short with any special objects seen, and what happens at that location, displayed in a scrolling window below.

There are a number of graphics. These are simplistic and quite small, but keep an eye open for the clues included within the pictures.

Many input commands need only a verb/noun format, although there are a number of occasions where a longer sentence is required. For instance there are several keys to be found, and if you have more than one, you have to specify to which you are referring. Longer inputs are needed to interact with other characters.

Very soon into the adventure you will meet Elva. Having given this character a knife, Elva will follow you everywhere. You can only carry a very limited number of objects, Elva on the other hand must be more than somewhat muscular and can carry many objects at once. GIVE XXX TO ELVA and SAY TO ELVA "GIVE ME THE XXX" are two of the most common commands you will be using.

You play a hero out of the past and your mission is to destroy the evil Grako across the water. Starting with nothing, you must first find Kentilla, a legendary blade that will return to the hand of its owner on command.

To get to Grako in his Black Tower you must first solve a number of devious puzzles. These involve the manipulation of lots of the objects you will find on your travels.

You will meet several different types of creatures, some of which are hostile and some not - take care not to kill the wrong ones. There are two mazes to solve, one in a forest and one amid swamps. Neither is too difficult if you keep your head and take care with your mapping.

In the forests, keep an eye on Elva and do not leave them until your aid has fashioned a bow and some arrows. You will need to persuade Elva to use them later. In the swamps you will find a lady in distress, save her and she will help you on your way.

Kentilla provides a fairly complex series of interlinked puzzles that must be solved in the right order. With death only a step away at all times, or an incorrect action fouling up your chances of success, it is wise to save your game position at fairly regular intervals. Examine everything you see (sometimes twice to find what you missed the first time!), and look into anything that may hold other items. You may also look east (or any other direction) to see what is in the next location. This Amstrad version varies very slightly from the original Spectrum game but not enough to change what was, and is, a very challenging adventure.

At £1.99 this is well worth spending some time to find - it will also take you some time to solve!