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Outzone is a strange mix of space shoot-'em-up and puzzle game. You have responsibility for a small craft that has a fixed speed and trajectory. You can only change its direction by intervening in its path. You do this by pressing the Fire button when you're near it. This attaches the craft to the back of your ship. By moving the joystick up and down, you can alter the craft's vertical position. Pressing the Fire button again releases it.

The craft must reach the end of the zone while avoiding the many blocks scattered about the area. These blocks are of two types: indestructible and marked. The latter are marked by a geometric shape or a letter of the alphabet. Touch two blocks (with your ship) that have matching geometric shapes and they disappear, usually forming an entrance for the craft. Touch two alphabetical ones and you activate a bonus effect - extra energy for your ship or a new weapon. You need the weapons to shoot the static aliens that occasionally appear and block your way. The craft isn't affected by these aliens - but you are.

The graphics are small and functional and the sound isn't much better. While each level becomes more difficult, the gameplay remains the same. For the first one or two games you'll probably be intrigued, but when you've lost a life for the fifth time and found yourself right back at the beginning again, you might find the gameplay lacking - particulary since there are 28 levels. There isn't enough variation to hold your interest and the action itself isn't particularly thrilling. A few hardy souls might play through to the end but the rest of us will probably be writing our names with blunt crayons by then.