For those amongst you who might perchance be new to the Beeb family, I think it's fair to say that you have missed out on playing what is, at least to my mind, one of the best games ever written for our machines. Repton is a colourful game, requiring (sometimes huge great dollops of) thought and memory to play successfully. It is split into three separate files, each of which is further split into eight screens. Any of the three files may be loaded and (if the titles are known) any of the screens may then be called up to be played. Although the ultimate object is to play each screen and thus automatically progress to the next, until all screens in each file are completed, the facility to call up any screen allows you to repeatedly attempt to solve a particular screen without having to start at the first each time.

Repton moves around an underground labyrinth, collecting diamonds and crowns and avoiding monsters and falling rocks. Strangely, although the rocks are susceptible to the effects of gravity, Repton seems immune, and moves nowhere unless told to. Repton can, and very often needs to, push the rocks in order to gain access to the diamonds and also dispose of the monsters, and this often needs to be done in a particular sequence to be able to complete each screen. This is where the memory bit comes in, although the time allowed is usually quite generous, and the countdown is suspended whilst you view the maps which are available for the first five screens in each file. For the last three, you are on your own! Repton 3 has an Editor which enables you to redesign existing screens, once you have solved them and discovered their Editor Code, or even create entirely new screens, puzzles and characters. There are some excellent (and also some execrable) examples of this collected onto one of our TBI discs.

An excellent game, for which alone this compilation is worth buying.

I don't like this game. I will qualify that by saying that my dislike is based solely on the fact that my best ever finishing position, in the scores of times I have played it, has been 48th, whilst my 13-year-old son won the race on only his third attempt and has been walking round with a smirk on his face ever since.

The game is a motorcycle race; one lap at each of several of the world's most famous racing circuits, where the object is to score as highly as possible, by both knocking other riders off their bikes and finishing in the top six in the race at each circuit, thus qualifying for the race at the next track. The main screen area shows the track disappearing into the distance, with you in the foreground being passed by all the other riders, well, that's wot happens when I play it anyway!

The top area shows the circuit layout and where you are on it, the lower area shows your speed and your position in the field. You have to be a bit careful how you knock other riders off their bikes, otherwise you fall off (doing a beautiful somersault in the enhanced version) and have to get back up to race speed again. This seems to take you much longer than all the other riders, perhaps they have sabotaged your bike? Going too near the edge also slows you down, so aim for the middle of the road as far as possible. There are lots of similar games using similar screen displays, but this one has a touch of humour with it, making it more enjoyable to play.

This is one of what must be hundreds of Space-Invader-type games. It is more colourful and smoother than some I have seen, with some quite pretty aliens etc to try and zap. According to the blurb it has loads of levels to aspire to, with an ever more cunning, numerous, and destructive foe to try and contend with, but it is not really my type of game. This is not to totally dismiss it; my boys enjoy playing it and comparing their best scores, but personally I would rather watch the test card.

I would class this game as a variant on the Repton theme, in that you are required to work your way around an underground labyrinth, collecting various items to help you in your mission. The variety of moves you can and sometimes have to make is greater, as is the variety of items needed to complete the mission, but planning your moves is just as important as with Repton. I mentioned the variety of moves you can make, and this is reflected in the number of keys (14!!) which have effect whilst playing.

More than twenty different items also need to be found and correctly used in order to progress through the different levels and achieve ultimate success. Maps are available to help you plan your route, and the remaining energy levels in your space suit and blaster can also be called up. These can be recharged by picking up energy cells which are conveniently dotted around. The blaster is a necessity as, seemingly around every corner, there are guards trying to zap you.

The screen display is colourful, scrolls smoothly in all directions as you move around and, as far as I have so far managed to get, all the objects and characters have been clearly identifiable for what they are. There do not seem to be any time restrictions during play (or perhaps I just have not reached that deep yet), although you do need to check on your energy levels occasionally, as I mentioned earlier. This is one of the better games of its type, without needing the frantic finger work of some, and is very enjoyable to play.