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Marauder is a low slung single sprite attack vehicle. It skims about, under your control - if that's the word - on the surface of a world that's as wide as your monitor screen and ten times as long. This world, the first of six, is made up of sand dunes, palm trees, rocky outcrops bridges and other common desert features - like missile silos.

What you don't normally find in the desert is spinning eyepods, electro-hoverers, jelly fish (at least that's what they look like to me) and other assorted fiendish beings - all firing guided missiles at you. But then this is no ordinary desert, this is the planet Mergatron. The reason all this flesh withering nastiness lurks on the sand is that it was left there by a cruel and despotic civilisation to guard its loot - the jewels of Ozymandius.

The creepy stuff lays into you from the word go. Yes it's time to make your eyeballs bulge and the veins in your neck turn blue. Up and at 'em with everything you've got. Now as well as all these unfriendly desert dwellers coming for you there are the stationary built-in defences. I've already mentioned the missile silos, but what about the glowing defence beacons? They glow a different colour every time you look at them - except you don't have time to look. One second they're red and if you fire at them you get an extra smart bomb (smarter than your average smart bomb!) to add to the three you're carrying if you haven't already leapt on the space bar.

Wait a second! Now they're yellow and a well aimed (i.e. lucky) shot gives you ten seconds of invincibility. All very well, but how do you know when it runs out? Too late! Now they're cyan and an impossible ricochet awards you with an extra life - that makes six if you've managed to stay clean so far. Aargh! blue. Everything goes backwards. No problem for clever sons of beaches who can turn the joystick upside down, but what happens when you start to go the right way again? That's right! You hit a purple beacon and lose a life, or a green one and lose your lasers for ten seconds.

While all this is happening don't forget to keep an eye out for the airborne drones, atomic disruptors and Molotov cocktails (these could be the jelly fish). The real heavy stuff comes at the end of the level when hordes of them descend on you from nowhere. Save a smart bomb for this one or you're dead.

What happens next? The same again of course, only this time it's harder, there is more of everything and the landscape has changed. Now you can wash the sand from between your toes and skate around on what looks like ceramic tiles - a beautiful blue colour too. Level three features flat grey metal with raised features casting long shadows. Huge transformer things lie across your path and the defence systems take on a menacing mechanical look. Level four: more sand, more bridges, then more metal and so on.

Like I said, no prizes for originality, but what there is, is brilliantly presented stuff, due in no small part to Steve Crow's excellent graphics.

Here's a completely brilliant tip. Put the C64 on the floor and take your shoes off - which should at least ensure you get to play without interruptions. Then you can keep both hands on the joystick and take full advantage of FAST - Foot Activated Smartbomb Trigger. Remember, read CU for the hottest tips! [Erm, nice one Ken - Ed]