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One of the first games I ever played when I bought my first C64 nearly three years ago was US Gold's Dambusters. It struck just the right balance between arcade action, strategy and flight simulation. In fact, I enjoyed playing it so much and US Gold's subsequent Ace Of Aces that I'm surprised there haven't been more games like this.

Casting aside all the over-the-top blurb about "an awesome shape rumbling towards its destiny" and "50,000 tons of awesome power knifing its way through an inky black sea" what we've got here is quite a pleasing attempt at recreating the gameplay and atmosphere of Dambusters. If you know anything about WWII, or if you just happen to have a copy of the Night Raider manual in front of you, you'll know that the Bismarck was finally sunk by a Gruman Avenger torpedo plan in 1941. What Night Raider does is recreate the Avenger's attack run on the Bismarck, with you in control. What the illustration on the pack is supposed to represent though is anybody's guess.

As the title would suggest, your attack on the German ship takes place at night. As in Dambusters, there's very little to see scenery-wise. The only way the ground is distinguished from the sky is the series of dots that scroll under you to give the sensation of movement. (But remember, you're flying over the sea, so there wouldn't be a great deal to see anyway.)

The Avenger is a big plane, and that's why it takes a crew of four to operate it. Aside from the pilot, you'll also have to become the engineer, navigator and tail gunner if you want to succeed in your mission. As the pilot your job is just to fly the aircraft, keeping it at the correct speed, making sure it doesn't stray off course, and so on. All this is done by using standard flight sim controls and keeping a careful eye on the handful of instruments on the dashboard. By hitting the space bar, you can toggle your joystick control between flying the aircraft and combat, where a crosshair appears on the screen and can be used for targeting to destroy any enemy boats or aircraft that appear.

The engineer has the responsibility of preparing the Avenger for take-offs and landings, as well as keeping a check on the plane's functions. Simple tasks, such as ensuring the landing gear is in the correct position and ensuring the right fuel tank is engaged are easily overlooked, and any mishap could lead to a serious disaster. The Navigator has probably got the easiest job of the lot. All that has to be done on this map screen is move a small target box to the Avenger's proposed destination. The pilot then has to steer the plane accordingly to match the red indicator that appears on the compass. The Navigator does, however, have to allow for such factors as enemy aircraft and boats, and the movement of the Bismarck.

Finally the tail gunner screen is very similar to the pilot's screen in reverse. Using the free-roaming crosshair, enemy planes and other such things can be filled full of lead (providing you have enough ammunition left of course).

From what I've just told you, you may get the impression that Night Raider is little more than Dambusters revisited, but there is in fact much more strategy and thinking involved, due to a host of extra features. Torpedoes, for instance, are used to attack the Bismarck when you finally reach it, and the firing of them requires a joint effort between pilot and engineer. In addition, you take off in Night Raider from HMS Ark Royal, rather than a land-based strip as in Dambusters which makes things all the more challenging, should you have to return to initiate repairs.

There are also a couple of nice touches such as the camera on the engineer's screen which allows you to replay your attack on the Bismarck after the mission, and the way in which you have to select a straw from five held out by an officer to select what kind of mission you'll be undertaking. It's a shame, however, that the excellent opening sequence on the ST (featuring a sampled Hitler and Winston Churchill) could not have been added, even if only on the disk version, as it adds to the overall atmosphere no end.

However, that omission was inevitable owing to the C64's relatively small capabilities and memory. Night Raider is an interesting mix of game elements that should appeal to all different groups of gamers. The graphics range from average to really quite impressive, and sound is put to good use (shame about the awful engine noise and title tune though).

If you missed Dambusters and are on the lookout for something along those lines, you should go for Night Raider.