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Already famous for their high quality educational software which children enjoy using, ASK has now produced a package appealing to many levels. This arcade-type game is intended to teach and practise basic number skills and bonding. The 'painter' - one of four ranging from Mr. Plod to Mr. Speedy - climbs the ladders and walks the platforms to paint out the numbers which will take you to a 'target' total. For example, you may start with a total of twelve to your credit and your 'target' is 96. By painting out a 'x 8' or a series of addition numbers you attain the target.

It's not always as simple as that - sometimes your starting total is higher than the target and so subtraction and/or division have to be used. All this has to be done against the clock of course, represented by a bucket being winched up the right-hand side of the screen.

If you are successful at least two out of three goes on any level then you move to the next stage with correspondingly harder tasks. Failure means that you get a further three attempts at the same level.

The program may be run using joystick or keyboard, and a self-test facility is included to allow the child to test his understanding of the number bonds and their relationship at any given level.

The theoretical pedigree behind this program is immaculate and its objectives are stated clearly - to reinforce the relationship between addition and subtraction; the relationship between multiplication and division; that repeated addition is a way of solving a multiplication sum, though inefficient; and that similarly, repeated subtraction is a possible but inefficient way of doing division.

A splendid program with excellent graphics - and children actually want to use it!