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And about time too. Computer owners have been waiting a long time for a platform game good enough to wave in the faces of the smug console owners, revoltingly proud of their Sonics and their Marios. And here it is.

Robocod wins few awards for its originality. There are elements of just about every running 'n jumping game from Manic Miner onwards in there somewhere, but thanks to careful design and wise mixing and matching of game styles, the end result is far more than the sum of its parts.

As in Mario IV, the core game task is simple - get from one end of the level to the other, and jump on the heads of any bad guys to wander past. Of course, in practice there's a bit more to it than that. Some of the 70+ levels see Robocod travelling through the levels in a bouncing car, a spluttering prop plane and even an old enamelled bath! There are even some areas where 'Cod swims around - much like he did in the game's prequel James Pond.

In fact, it's the sheer variety of the game - along with the superbly smooth control over the fishy main character - that makes it such a joy to play. Every level features something new, either in graphics or gameplay, and there's little chance of boredom setting in. The wonderfully cute sprites, bright and cheerful backdrops and sing-alongable tunes are excellent too. All in all, Robocod is a polished, playable and - thank God - fun slice of platform pie that you'd have to be criminally insane to let slip by.