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Years ago on the Spectrum there was a game called, rather imaginatively, Deflector. The aim of this game was to channel a beam of energy around the screen using a series of mirrors in order to reach a specific point. In the way there were various obstacles like polarisers, blocks of wood, beam splitters and so on, which made life hell for the poor old beam of energy.

Strangely enough, this could almost be a description of Mind Bender, only this time there's a plot involving gnomes, magic spells and all that sort of malarky. It's the same game, though. From your magician - who's strategically placed somewhere on-screen - emanates a magic beam in a straight line. When it hits a gnome - yes, a gnome, what's wrong with that? - holding a mirror (fixed or moveable by you), it's deflected at an angle and whizzes off elsewhere. What you have to do on each level is to deflect the beam so that it hits every one of the - er, spell cauldrons on-screen, satisfy any other conditions that have to be met (for instance, on some levels there are lightbulbs that have to be lit up by deflecting the beam onto them before you can exit) and then channel the beam into the exit door. Of course, there are the othr bits which get in the way to be circumvented, destroyed or both.

They weren't joking when they called it Mind Bender. It's not easy, even on the second level, because you've got a time limit constantly nagging away at you. It's a good little game though, with primitive graphics and all rightish sound, and it'll keep you going longer than a Snickers (or a Marathon, if you're a traditionalist).