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Mickey dozed off while reading a book and ended up being teleported to a magical world. But it was nothing like the colourful pictures in his story book. The sky was dark, the grass grey, the landscape washed out.

A young girl Mickey met in the nearest village explained the dreariness. A sadistic spectre had hall-inched the jewel which gave the kingdom its magic. The locals needed a saviour to find the jewel, do away with the ghoul and return their land to its former splendour. Yep, you guessed - Mickey volunteered!

Guide Mickey through 14 fantasy-filled levels, dodging baddies and locating the exits. If you've played the MD game, World Of Illusion, you'll spot a couple of familiar features, like the piano which churns out power-ups and giant blooms which shoot you to higher platforms.

Preliminary stages are fairly straightforward. Move from left to right, bottom-bouncing bad guys. Expect confrontations with snakes, bees, ghosts and worms.

In the underwater section, fish can't be bottom-bounced. Either swim around them or lob the nearest object in their path.

Your goal is to locate magic potions, which are the key to secret doors. Find the phial, pop the cork and your route to the next level becomes clear.

This outs puts puzzle-solvers in their element. There are loads of pick-ups, too. Smash boulders to reach chests or fling them at adversaries. Gold blocks are used as stepping stones, while springs help Mickey over high walls. A shrinking potion allows access through gaps. A rope helps Mick tackle mountain peaks and lanterns shed light on otherwise darkened levels.

The spectre has laid a bag of tricks and traps for unsuspecting gamers. He knows you're coming to dinner. Make sure it's not you who ends up in the soup.

Yes, it was worth the wait. Along with Sonic 2, Land Of Illusion surely rates as the top handheld platform game. Everything that's found in the MS version is included (though smaller). Each level's decked out in bright, cartoony colours, but there's time to stop and stare, because action and excitement are non-stop as Mickey bounces through this enchanted land.

My only gripe is it's far too easy and I had little trouble completing it in a few hours. Unlimited continues make the going easier still.

Wacky levels, bizarre creatures, secret passages and thrilling platform action are what this is all about. A definite purchase.

Land Of Illusion's more expensive than other Game Gear carts from Sega. That's because it has more memory - 4 Meg, in fact, and it shows. The graphics are absolutely superb. All sprites are highly detailed and animation's excellent, with some splendidly amusing character touches. Backdrops ooze colour - they wouldn't look out of place on the Mega Drive.

As is the case with Disney tie-ins, you won't bust a gut completing it, but it presents a good enough challenge, and with a game as playable as this, who's complaining? One of my favourite GG games so far this year.

A brilliant platform and puzzle game. One for your collection.