Fragrant with the success of their previous Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit (SEUCK) collection, the mighty Archetype and Cops 3 (rated 76% in CF44), Psytronik Software have recently released a second such pot pourri.

The games were written by legendary SEUCK master Alf Yngve, responsible for Archetype, Cops 3, Twin Tigers and several other classics. With Jon Wells beavering away on several different projects, the task of embellishing the games falls to Jason Kelk (Reaxion, Powerpack 47) and Warren Pilkington (Quadraped Tearaways, Powerpack 46). Sounds like this one could be a winner...

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SEUCK allows you to produce either static-screen or vertically-scrolling games, so how on earth has Al Yngve managed to create this horizontally-scrolling Silkworm variant?

Well, with a little thought and imagination, Alf has managed to simulate horizontal motion by using enemy sprites as trees and ground-based objects - all very clever stuff. The aim of this game is to shoot everything and anything which gets in your way (something which happens frequently).

As with the aforementioned Silkworm, player one controls the armoured car while player two pilots the VTOL jet fighter. This allows for interesting gameplay tactics. As the armoured car can move left and right only it is up to the jet fighter to protect it from descending enemies. Likewise, the jet can only move up or down, and so you must use the armoured car to destroy any other air-based adversaries. This subtle yet cunning plan means that you can play the game in a variety of ways, either as a team or as opponents.

Silverfish is well designed, with some devious attack waves and the obligatory end-of-level bosses. However, the game seems empty at times, and some of the colour schemes are hideously garish.

In short, it's inspired, but by no means inspirational.

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A SEUCK collection wouldn't be complete without at least one vertically-scrolling blaster and this little beauty fits the bill perfectly.

As the pilot of the Albatross, your mission is to fly across enemy lines into the heart of the battle to deliver much needed medical supplies. It seems that the tiny Albatross is the only plane capable of making the fight so the success of the mission depends on you.

Unlike Alf's other creations, this is a one-player game for most of the time and the playing area is much smaller than usual, too. Confused? I was.

However, from the moment you press Fire, the imagination and talent behind the game shine through. From the comic book-style dialogue to the myriad superbly detailed and animated sprites the game begins to overwhelm and absorb.

The first section, up in the clouds, confronts you with a veritable army of enemy planes to tackle, before the action clips swiftly to the sea where heavily-armed submarines and boats lie in wait. Inside the jungle, the action kicks into second gear, as tanks, cannons, choppers and ground troops do their best to stop you. As you reach the mountain section, the playing area expands and player two can join in.

While the Albatross is carried through the mountain ridge by train, the jeep (player two) protects the train from enemy attack - a brilliant twist. After this is a superb lightning storm and then the final section which is tough enough to make grown men weep.

Albatross is probably the best Alf Yngve game I have played. If you thought SEUCK games were dull and repetitive, prepare to eat your words.

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If you have played Psytronik's Archetype, you know what to expect: a sprawling, detailed, two-player arcade adventure with a whole host of neat touches and effects to entertain you.

The game is set in medieval Japan where our eponymous adventurers have become heroes. Taking either the role of Nukenin (a samurai), or Ronin (a ninja), you must fight your way through to the final big boss, destroying the baddies who are out to stop you.

Well, it's all for a good cause. As with Silverfish, each player has a slightly different control method to the other, which again adds to the playability. Being a Samurai, Nukenin is only armed with a sword, and thus has a limited combat range. To compensate for this he's very quick and agile. In contrast, Ronin the Ninja is armed with Shurikens (which have a very long range), but he moves much more slowly than Nukenin (just to even the score a little).

This relatively simple addition improves the gameplay in two distinct ways:

1. in two-player mode, each player must help and assist the other in various situations;
2. if you complete the game with one character, there is the incentive to play again with the other.

As you progress through the forests, villages and temples there are plenty of thugs, ninjas and other such adversaries to stop you. Along the way our heroes can collect gold from temples, or wild flowers, for bonus points. Oh, and watch out for the collapsing floors in the ravine!

Overall it is slick, playable, and superbly imaginative.

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Apart from the classic Insects In Space and Bee-52, insect-based games on the C64 have been rather few and far between.

The plot is simple; your house has been invaded by insects and it's up to you and a friend to stop them. Armed only with a swatter and a can of bug spray, you must pulverise and pummel anything that looks vaguely like an insect.

Unlike the two other insect games mentioned, Insectophobia doesn't take the form of a shoot-'em up as such. In fact, in this game, each level is based around a monochrome static screen, which animates occasionally (blink and you're likely to miss it!).

At the end of each level you see a huge picture of an animated bug, before you move on to the next level which looks and plays like the previous one. No, tell a lie... It plays exactly like the previous level.

On its own, Insectophobia would rank as rather average and is definitely the worst Alf Yngve game I have seen. However, put it next to quality games such as Flight Of The Albatross and Nukenin & The Ronin, and it begins to look like a rather feeble space filler.

Nice touches. Original. Plays like a loaf of mouldy bread.

The Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit is a utility which allows people to create their own games, known as SEUCK games. Generally, the average SEUCK game is, well, average, but some people, such as Alf Yngve (pronounced 'Ingoo') produce good ones. In fact, Psytronik Software have already released a compilation containing two SEUCK games. The second compilation, reviewed here, is the (witty title) Shoot-'Em-Up Destruction Set.

So, in this review SEUCK or Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit refers to the original utility, while SEUDS or the Shoot-'Em-Up Destruction Set refers to the compilation reviewed, standalone games created using SEUCK.

As well as the four games, the compilation also includes a special treat or music lovers - a copy of the rare Quadraped Tearaways demo by regular CF contributor Warren Pilkington.

The six tunes from the original have been subtly tweaked, tucked, and remixed. If you liked Quadraped Tearaways 2 (see Powerpack 46), then this demo, with nearly an hour of mellow, funky, and downright aggressive tunes to strut your stuff to, is for you.

1. Slick and glossy presentation
2. Detailed graphics with stunning animation
3. Generous amounts of playability
4. Imaginative

1. Insectophobia is poor compared to the other games
2. Some sound effects are annoying