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Making the channel tunnel wasn't like this, was it? Nevertheless, this new Domark release, based on an old Atari coin-op is full of trouble tubes (the Ed could tell you how painful that is). We strapped an expendable reviewer into a very dangerous craft and told him to, "Go get 'em!"

A quick test: does anyone know what S.T.U.N. stands for? Those of you who answered 'Spread Tunnel Underground Network', have another meatball; if you answered 'Suck Toilets, Uncle Nigel,' go to the back of the class for having a pathetic sense of humour.

Another quick test: what kind of ship would be best equipped to handle the twisty, turny, bumpy courses that make up the STUN? That's right - a STUN Ship! This queer kettle of fish-cum-futuristic car is shaped like a bobsleigh with wings, moves like a gazelle (and then some!), and has the firepower of Rambo in a bad mood. Useful hardware it is too, since the aim of the game is to complete the two dozen courses that make up the network.

Based on the Atari coin-op, every stage follows much the same pattern: put your foot down, shoot anything that gets in the way, try to pick up bonuses like turbo boost and 'stars', cross the finish line, have a cup of tea and prepare to tackle the next stage. Collect enough green stars and you acquire the Shockwave - a spinning ring of death which annihilates everything in its path. Drive over a Turbo Boost pad and not only does your craft travel at 944 mph, it also becomes transparent, allowing it to pass through enemies like a finger through custard. Or something.

And that's all there is to it. The conversion is a good one, but it exposes the coin-op's major weakness: behind the graphic and aural presentation there's nothing more than a moderately exciting race game with shoot-'em-up overtones. But while the C64 can't compete with the coin-op's visual power, it can mimic the gameplay - and it does that well enough.

Nevertheless a few other more minor drawbacks detract from its appeal. The instructions don't convey much atmosphere, and relate more to the 16-bit versions than the C64: there is constant reference to 'stars' which, in the 8-bit versions, are actually rectangular blocks. As far as the action goes, the time limits are nicely judged, except that a couple of times I appeared to cross the finish line, only to be told that I was out of time.

Graphically, it's a decent attempt to emulate the coin-op's filled 3D on the C64 (wireframe vector graphics just wouldn't have worked in terms of atmosphere), even if it isn't totally successful in conveying the high-speed action of the original. The sprites are less well drawn: both the STUN Ship and the enemies are a tad on the blocky side but the illusion of speed they convey is effective.

What all these faults combine to produce is a pretty average racer based on an average original. If you were a fan of the coin-op - and there were plenty of those - you should take a look. If, on the other hand (like me) you weren't that keen, there are far better race and blast games up for grabs out there.

1. The action can become repetitive after a few goes.
2. 3D effect is not all it should be, and there are occasional glitches when there's a lot of action on screen.
3. Sound effects are grating, although the music is better.

1. A good conversion of the coin-op's essential elements.
2. Easy for beginners - but later levels are really tough.
3. 24 levels before you can face the Ultimate Challenge!
4. Begin on different levels.
5. Map of course before each stage helps you plan tactics.