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For a while, we at CF have been bringing you various bits of wibble about this new coin-op conversion from Storm. Up until now, although we knew it was a bit special graphically, we hadn't had a really good bash at it. Now that we have, we can hold our mystic rods aloft and shout, "Hurrah!"

Regular CF readers will already know that Rodland's plot revolves around two fairies, brother and sister Tam and Rit, whose mother has been kidnapped and taken prisoner at the top of Maboot's tower. As no one else is capable of performing a rescue operation, it's down to these two fairies to carry out the unlikely mission.

Fortunately, some magical old fogey gives them both a mystic rod and a set of arcane trainers to help them on their quest. The rod can be used to trap and repeatedly bash foes around the play area; the trainers are useful for creating ladders to aid our heroes' escape from tricky situations.

The game itself is reminiscent of Bubble Bobble in that the player - or players, for there is a two-player mode - only have to deal with one screen at a time. Once clear, a speedy downward scroll brings on the next.

Each screen or level is a collection of platforms and ladders upon which sit an arrangement of gently nodding flowers. In addition, a number of odd creatures also inhabit the area. There are two ways of dealing with the situation: there's the brute force and ignorance method of merely bashing all the creatures to get to the next screen or you can try and collect all the flowers. Succeed and the bonus game appears where your opponents become turbo-charged and a time limit is set in motion. Kill the monsters to collect letter tokens and then trade in the set for an new life. [Hey Andy, maybe you could get one! - Ed]

Killing creatures is a riot. All you have to do is wait until they get near, face them, hit fire to set off your mystic rod and they become temporarily ensnared in a magical beam. If you then repeatedly press fire, your little guy or gal comically bashes the monster senseless from side to side. Pause for too long, however, and your attacker escapes - and bashes you instead.

When an opponent dies, it releases a bonus. It might be points, in the form of a fruit, or it might be a weapon. There are five weapons in all.

It's all very well talking about the beasts as if they were just a slight hindrance but they are far more than that. Every type moves and attacks differently. Some of the lesser creatures merely wander aimlessly around in the hope that they might make contact. Others home in on you with unerring accuracy and speed. Then there are the really potent ones, like boomerang throwing lobsters or the carnivorous worms that lash out huge tongues to capture you.

Some of the later levels provide more of a challenge in that the upper part of the screen is inaccessible. The only way to reach these parts is to either hitch rides on balloons that float up the screen or to use the teleport doors, depending on the level.

There are 32 levels in total. After each batch of eight, there's a mightier than usual opponent to get rid of. The first is series of death-dealing crocodiles, followed by a giant whale that fires babies at you(!). Next comes the trapeze-riding elephant and finally mighty caped dude with a horned hat. (Actually, this is the evil dude who's kidnapped Tam and Rit's mom.)

Hardened gamers may find the first half of Rodland a little easy, and bash straight through. But completing the whole game with only three lives should prove challenging enough for the vast majority of players, especially if you collect the flowers along the way.

The graphics are wonderful, with excellent animation on all of the tiny but highly detailed hi-res sprites. The big baddies are also beautifully rendered and their methods of attack are clearly different.

The two player option is good, but too easy, so if you don't want to spoil the surprises that the later levels hold, stick to solo play. Rodland is a great game that looks cute but plays hard. In fact, it's very difficult to pull yourself away from.

1. Early levels are a little too easy.
2. Seasoned gamers will romp through the two player option.

1. 32 glorious levels to get your mystic rod into.
2. Heaps of original creatures, each with different attack modes.
3. Beautifully simple graphics, superbly animated.
4. Weird but wonderful end-of-level guardians, tough too.
5. Control method works well.
6. Presentation screens are cartoony and well-drawn.
7. Sound effects are great.
8. Teleport doors and balloons are two of many features.
9. Bonus weapons are inventive and mighty useful.