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When the original C64 version of Laser Squad was released in March this year it received a more-than-healthy 92% and entered the CU hall of fame. The April deadline for the Amiga version came and passed any little has been heard since then. Until a new software outfit by the name of Blade announced their forthcoming Amiga release - Laser Squad.

It was its simplicity which made Laser Squad such a successful game. The graphics are workmanlike, as is the sound, but the concept and the execution are exceptional. You are in charge of the crack 'laser squad' and you have a number of missions to complete, whether they involve assassinating a drugs baron, laying siege to a major office block or rescuing buddies held prisoner in a mining complex.

At the start of each mission it's your responsibility to equip your team. There are various types of armour to choose from and a large selection of weapons and ammunition. At one end of the scale is the Marsec Auto Pistol, which is very low powered and cannot penetrate tough armour whilst at the other is the rocket launcher which can take out just about anything.

The deployment phase is next. Your troops need to be placed in set locations by the entrances to the map.

Each troop has a set number of Action Points which diminish with every action, even if you drop an object. If a player ends a turn with more than half of his total Action Points he automatically goes into opportunity mode (that is to say if the enemy passes his field of vision he gets what is effectively a free strike, so long as he's quick).

Essentially, Amiga Laser Squad bar from some improved graphics and its extremely atmospheric sound effects is identical to the 8-bit game. One final improvement has been to include the two original 8-bit expansion pack in the 16-bit version. No actual expansion packs are planned for this version.

Laser Squad is excellent, although I can't help but feel slightly put out by the lack of improvement to the original. But if you're somebody who likes the idea of plenty of over-the-top violence, explosions and some thinking you won't go far wrong with this little baby.