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After a long, long wait, those troublesome soulmates The Blues Brothers are making an appearance on a C64 near you. What could they be up to now? Have they finally swapped concert hall antics for console action? Not quite. They've got a gig to do on your computer and they need your help to do it. They've lost everything they need in order to stage this concert. Somehow, their guitar, microphone, amp and a couple of other pieces of stageshow paraphernalia have been scattered across town. With your help, Jake and Elwood intend to get them back.

Town consists of six levels. You can see five of them on a map screen that pops up at the beginning of each level. The sixth is a carefully hidden bonus level. You play through the levels in a predetermined order though, so it doesn't matter really. Each level contains only one of the items Jake and Elwood need.

Once you select Jake or Elwood (or both, should you want to play with a friend), you set off on a mission full of danger. Apart from the cops - who shoot on sight and take autographs later around here - there are razor-wielding skinheads and grannies in shopping trolleys to contend with (this town sounds like a great place to visit on your holidays). Fortunately, both streets and rooftops are littered with crates which you can hurl at the moral majority. This has the effect of squashing them completely and keeping them out of your way for good.

But this is a screamer of an all-direction scroller and there's a lot more to do that go on a box frenzy. There's a whole load of other stuff to collect, including records of course (the gig wouldn't be the same without them!), extra lives and mystery bonuses. The mystery bonuses can add points or subtract them - ouch! Some bonuses force your be-boppin' buddies to dance on the spot - even if they're being shot at or razored at the time.

Some inventive modes of transport enables you get to otherwise inaccessible locations. A limited supply of balloons takes you to the rooftops in level one, for instance. In level two, an air intake sucks your sprite up a storey (yeuugh). Ungainly it might be, but if it gets you to the top...

The graphics are what J & E would have called "something else". The scrolling is as smooth and seamless as you can imagine and the Jake and Elwood sprites carry an awful lot of detail. The bad guys (and grannies) are equally well-drawn but they're few and far between, to begin with at least. Games gurus are going to find The Blues Brothers little challenge until they're about a third of the way through it. Even then, they might be able to plough on ahead without ever really using their joystick skills to the limit.

But the gameplay is balanced. There are times when you can cloud hop and float down collecting discs, with an umbrella so you can grab more, if you're smart. Why these guys' records are hanging in mid air in the first place is the kind of question you don't stop to ask when you get into the rhythm. If you've ever driven a Rick Dangerous sprite around your computer screen, you'll know what I mean. Time to refine your technique until you get every single slice of vinyl back, if you want.

The soundtrack is yet another computer rendition of Peter Gunn but the arrangement is different to the one in Spy Hunter. The sound effects fulfil your expectations as well. The Blues Brothers has been polished in every single respect.

It's not adventurous, really. If you go for games because of their uniqueness, you might find The Blues Brothers' beat too laid back. But it is simply good fun to play. It doesn't improve with two-player craziness but it's still fun. There's a cheat mode which I'm not going to tell you but I didn't reach the end, anyway. I'm sure I missed a few surprises. Well, there's time for one more session.

1. Slightly sparse gameplay.

1. Graphics that do justice to the cult film and add a lot to the game in their own right.
2. Smooth animation scrolls in all directions.
3. Six very difference and quite large levels.
4. Colourful, detailed and feature-packed backgrounds.
5. Simple console action.
6. Well-thought-out bonuses and scoring system.
7. Perfect collision detection and sprite content.
8. The soundtrack is chunky enough to eat.
9. No end-of-level nonsense.
10. Simultaneous two-player.
11. Young player appeal.