Achim has reworked his Rent-A-Cop game with new presentation and features to create this new version.

The original Rent-A-Cop was based on the Atari VCS game Keystone Kapers, where a security guard pursued a fleeing burglar up through the floors of a shopping mall. This new version adds different locations including the docks and an airport, as Mr Smith (the player) undergoes two weeks' training as a security guard. The aim is the same - stop the bad guy escaping (reaching the top right of the level). Getting hit by enemies and hazards (birds and shopping trolleys) will reduce the hero's energy, but shooting bad guys will sometimes reveal extra items that can help. A bulletproof vest restores energy to maximum, a gun increases the firing rate, the flashbang grenade makes time and enemies run slower, while the amphetamine pill gives a short period of invulnerability.

The added presentation (including Steve Day's superb title screen) and changing levels make the game look even more impressive, taking it away from its Atari roots. High scores can be saved and loaded to disk.

Music and sound FX fit well, and the graphics have a more realistic feel than the cartoonish original.

The time limits are very tough, meaning spending too long dealing with the roaming bad guys will cost you. The control method can also make it difficult to climb stairs fluidly, costing valuable time. Because it lacks the lifts of the original, there is no shortcut. Although it is quite easy to grasp, long term the high difficulty can be off-putting.

A tough game for tough gamers.