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Some four years after the film was released, the computer game finally arrives on the scene, indicating perhaps that even when the force is with you some things take time.

Thoughtfully a brief synopsis of the plot has been provided for those who don't know their Ewoks from their elbows. The games joins the story when the rebels are about to launch their attack on the evil Empire's Death Star Mk2.

Leia and Luke race through the forests of Endor dispatching stormtroopers while on the way to the Ewoks' village.

Meanwhile Chewbacca, not far away in a captured Scout Walker, makes his way to a bunker to destroy the protective shield which surrounds the Death Star. Then Lando must pilot the Millenium Falcon down a convenient tube to the heart of the Death Star and destroy its central reactor.

In the first part of the game you play the role of Princess Leia, riding a speeder bike on your way to the Ewok village. You must do battle with stormtroopers - also on speeder bikes - and avoid the trees as you scroll Zaxxon-style through the scenery.

The stormtroopers are not terribly good drivers, but can get very persistent when behind you. Fortunately the partisan Ewoks have set up a few trans for these hard-to-shift imperialists.

The bikes look like excited vacuum cleaners, and you wouldn't know Leia from Chewbacca, but the backgrounds are all right - there is very good use of logical colours as the bikes flit between the trees. Next you become Chewbacca in control of a Scout Walker plodding slowly and not a bit surely towards an imperial bunker. Curiously the imperial forces decide to combat this threat, not with pulse lasers, but with logs and stones. Nevertheless, these are quite effective.

Finally you become Lando Calrissian, piloting the Millenium Falcon down the infamous tube to the Death Star reactor. Tie fighters tail the ship, but these are easily dealt with, the only other danger being crashing into the odd pillar.

Although the background in this stage is very nice, it is not much more than a poor copy of Zaxxon.

Return Of The Jedi is quite addictive, certainly better than the last offering in the Star Wars series. The graphics aren't bad and the scrolling is excellent for the Amstrad.

The tune played throughout the game is quite good, but the effects are the usual bang and crash affairs. The force could have been stronger.