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Anyone who's seen John Carpenter's Escape From New York will instantly recognise the similarity between that, and Prison, the first game to appear on the Chrysalis label. Accused of a crime you didn't commit, you've been banished to a faraway alien planet recently devastated by atomic war, now used as a penitentiary for social outcasts.

However, an escape idea forms when you hear a rumour that a shuttle craft exists somewhere on the planet, scattered into eight pieces. If the pieces could be found, and assembled...

Prison's penal colony is built up from 270 flick-screen screens, split over three separately-loaded levels. Finding the eight spacecraft parts isn't easy, as several sub-tasks and mini-problems are there to be solved before the location of each section is revealed.

Much of the game's control and interaction is performed via the intricate information and status display panel. As well as displaying the player's lives and energy, it shows the objects being carried (up to two at a time), the parts of the rocket ship that have been found, and a menu-driven control screen which allows objects to be picked up, dropped and used, as well as interaction with other characters and the execution of specific commands.

Alien creatures mutated by the atomic war pose a constant threat, and when they appear there's no alternative but to slug it out with them. A hidden laser gun is useful here - especially as the alien gangs have claimed the rocket parts as their own and won't give them up without a fight.

Finding the stooge is the first step to escaping. This hairy dwarf-like creature has some vital items and information that can be traded for whatever you're carrying at the time (provided he wants it). If you have nothing to trade, he can be threatened - but, be warned, he doesn't frighten easily.

A nice graphic touch is the way that, as time passes, the display dims and brightens to indicate night, dawn, dusk and so on. As it gets darker it becomes more difficult to see, and therefore easier to miss vital clues and items!

Objects are found by using the 'search' option from the control menu. A small light on the status display flashes when you enter a room to indicate an object is present, and with careful searching it is revealed.

Prison is certainly an excellent arcade adventure - perhaps the best of its type. There have been many attempts at this genre before, but this one shows how well it can work when executed properly. The problems and puzzles are well-structured and logical, and aren't overly difficult: you can't get into the nightclub until you've got the tie, before you can board the train to the next level you'll need to visit the ticket machine and so on.

Unlike many games of this type, there's always something to do, and so you won't have to walk around the streets for hours on end looking for clues. The well-varied background graphics also help to keep you interested, and the sprites are well-defined and animated, particularly the main character.

Prison serves as an excellent introduction to arcade adventures, and the complex puzzles and various sub-games should keep you occupied for some time to come.

The gameplay and feel are both identical to the ST version, but the addition of full-colour graphics throughout add an extra element of polish to the presentation.

Although there is an IBM-compatible version in the offing, a release date is uncertain as work has only just begun. The finished product should support both EGA and CGA graphics modes.