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He's mean, moody and covered in scars, yes he's back slurring words, ignoring the new era of East-West detente in an action-packed all-American jaunt through a Russian fort. This time his beloved mentor Colonel Trautman has been captured by the commies while on a super top secret mission in Afghanistan.

John Rambo's first mission is to locate the Colonel who is now being tortured. Along the way, Rambo has more than ample opportunity to rescue Afghan prisoners and waste as many of the enemy as possible. Yet the first noticeable thing about Rambo III is that it's not a straightforward shoot-'em-up. It's a more subtle arcade adventure, with simple puzzles that even Rambo himself could work out.

The first level is set inside the fort itself and holds most of the objects essential to complete the game. At first it all adds up; the infra red goggles go up with the goggles' battery pack and so on: then I came to a door which the computer obligingly notified me was electric after shooting Rambo full of 25,000 volts. Needless to say, I searched solid for ten games and two nights before I found a small lever, cunningly disguised as a section of wall, retracted when Rambo touched it. Dashing back to the electric door I found out it was no longer electrified - diving through I promptly trod on a mine. RIP Rambo.

Stage two is pretty much the same, except this time Rambo has to prime bombs left in strategic locations around the Russian compound in order to blow the place sky high.

Section three provides the main bulk of the blasting action. Rambo is now in possession of a tank and has become twice as violent as before. The joystick guides the crosshair around the screen and the fire button launches a volley of bullets at an unsuspecting Russian. Then drive off to the Afghan border and you're home free, until of course Rambo IV.

Rambo III provided some surprisingly absorbing computer entertainment, though it lacks the great Martin Galway theme that accompanied the original. For the most part the graphics are neat and to the point.

All in all, a good though not stunningly original little games package from an apparently weak film licence.