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Every few months a game comes along which you know instantly is something special. For me the last was Manic Miner, and now comes The Pyramid.

You start in the chamber which represents the peak of the pyramid, and the aim is to get through all 120 chambers and reach the base. You are Ziggy in your little ship.

To appeal to everyone, the cassette wallet includes both a silly scenario owing something to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a detailed explanation of the controls and purpose of the game.

The Pyramid thoughtfully provides three different keyboard layouts and it will accommodate Fuller, Kempston, AGF/Protek or Microgen joysticks.

Each chamber is filled with floating aliens, which you must avoid, and at the foot of the screen the letter 'A' indicates how many of these you must shoot with your laser in order to release the energised crystal. You need the crystal in order to unlock one of the sealed gates that leads to the next chamber, and the crystals change colour to indicate what state they are in. If white it will destroy any aliens it touches, but then it changes to yellow and contact with an alien will destroy it. You must then start shooting and dodging in order to release another crystal.

In its final cyan state you can collect the crystal in your craft and deposit it in one of the two exits - and just to complicate matters the exits also change colour. You must drop enough crystals in them to change them to their lowest (magenta) level before they will open to allow your escape.

The Pyramid is colourful and quick, well packaged and cheap, and should be an essential addition to any collection.