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For the millions of people who read (well perhaps not read exactly - it's usually more of a casual flick through) The Sun every day, that bearded cartoon Viking, Hagar will be a familiar character. Bet you never thought you'd see his jolly Norse japes translated into a platform game, though it's not something you tend to muse about stuck in a jam-packed rush-hour train or over the egg and marmite soldiers. But that very idle thought must have struck someone at Kingsoft as they bit into their bacon buttie, because the licence was snapped up and Hagar has become the star of his very own pillaging platform extravaganza.

As you'd expect, there's a rather involved plot to get to grips with. It's funny, but whenever there's a licensed character in a game, there's always a really huge plot to try and get the most out of him or her.

But, instead of boring you with hours of wibble about Hagar and the traumatic stress caused by his inter-personal relationships, it's just easier to say that Hagar has fallen out with his Missus, Helga. Apparently this is always happening in the cartoon strip [Are you trying to pretend you don't read... sorry, 'casually flick through', The Sun, James? - Ed]. What you have to do is get him back in favour. Being a Viking, it would make sense to threaten her with a large club. But no. Even amongst these barbarians, that sort of behaviour isn't acceptable (unless, for some reason, it's directed towards people you aren't related to).

Anyway, the first thing you'll notice is that, before you get on with the game itself, you have to direct a little Viking longship to one of eight islands. Each island is a level, and each level has a code, so that once you've beaten one, you can write down the code of the next so that you don't have to replay all the levels you've already got licked the next time you play the game.

So let's have a quick peep at the game itself. Right. For each level, Helga gives you an assignment. You must collect a certain number of things from that level in order to please her. These objects include stuff like gems, hearts and diamonds (although I suppose those could be counted as gems).

But parading around each level are crows, knights, barbarians, people called Tom and those small mice from that weird advert for slimming aids (although I might be wrong about these) [You are! - Ed]. Because you're a big, hard Viking, you've got to kill the lot - you have got an image to keep up, after all. And because you're a big, well-armed Viking, you've got the weaponry to do it. As well as a (rather stumpy) sword, you've got a limited number of knives, spears and axes. These are all for throwing, and you select them by hitting the function keys, which isn't as slick as it could be, and means you've got to be ready with one hand on the keyboard, especially when you meet a new and tough bad guy.

One of the good points about Hagar The Horrible is that it isn't a standard walk-to-the-right scroller. Here you have to go in every direction, including up and down, in order to collect the gems. It's a much more interesting way of doing things, and certainly keeps you wanting to explore further into the levels.

If you can find the key, you can enter shops and transporters. As well as picking up standard points for killing things, you collect profit points for doing stuff. These are what you spend in the shops on such essential items as extra knives, axes and spears as well as food and magic (both of which keep you alive longer and make you meaner).

The transporters are doorways which you can walk into. You're instantly, and impressively, scrolled across to another transporter somewhere else on the level, where you emerge and continue with the game. They're useful indeed, especially because Hagar has got some very large levels to get lost in.

The main sprite (Hagar himself, obviously) is pretty large, as are many of the baddies he meets. Everything runs rather smoothly as well. The animation could possibly have been a little more realistic and, when Hagar jumps, he moves forwards for the first half, before plummeting vertically downwards. You get used to it but it's annoying until you do.

Another thing that I find annoying is the way you have to kill the baddies. Firing axes, knives or spears at them from a distance is fine, but otherwise you've got to let your stand right next to them hacking away like mad with your sword. They don't show any ill-effects until they finally die, so you've got no idea how much damage they have taken. Meanwhile, they'll be bashing you as hard as they can.

These moans aside, Hagar is an excellent game. It's got eight huge levels, all packed with rather weird surprises (German programmers, you see). There's a lot to do and it's a game that's crying out for mapping [Get Andy on the phone, now! - Ed].

Corker material? Well, not quite. The animation doesn't feel quite right, and the combat also has a strange sort of taste to it. But the game works much better than you first thing, so it's not far off. And the size of the thing is a mega plus-point.

1. The animation could do with being a little more convincing.
2. So could the combat.

1. Exactly the sort of sound effects you'd want in a cartoon-character game.
2. Huge, huge, huge levels.
3. And there are eight of them to get through.
4. Tons of collectable goodies and plenty of other objects to grab as well.
5. Loads of baddies to do battle with and a fair old variety of them, too.
6. You get at least four weapons to use.
7. The shops are a neat idea.
8. So are the transporters.