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In the near future, a bizarre nuclear accident in the Soviet Union (ho ho, not a very timely scenario) smothers an area 300 miles square with intense radiation. As a result, the wildlife in the area has been horribly transmutated into... well, horrible transmutations. And guess whose job it is to go in and sort it out? Right first time!

Once again the barrel of game scenarios has been well and truly scraped as an excuse for this latest blaster from the reborn Hewson. It's a pretty unconventional game in the way it's presented - rather than being a constantly-moving affair, the little fella under your control has to deal with the threat on each screen before he scrolls from left to right into the next bit of terrain. It... sort of works in its own way. It lends a more relaxed, take-things-in-your-stride air to the action, without really making it seem boring. The shooting action is pretty frantic, particularly when extra weapons have been collected, although sometimes the control system gives the impression that success depends more on luck than judgement.

Graphically it's OK, although some of the sprites are pretty crudely defined, and the colour scheme is rather drab and depressing - as befits a post-nuclear landscape, I suppose. There's something about the game - or rather not - that means that, although it looks like it should, it doesn't deliver that all-important playability 'kick'. It tries hard enough, with plenty of variety in the levels and action, but nevertheless it falls just short of the targets it sets for itself. Try before you buy.