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Is this really possible? The C64 soundtrack sounds incredibly similar to the Amiga demo I've seen, right down to the squillions of samples! Quite simply, it's mindblowing. Without doubt the best soundtrack I've ever heard on the humble ol' C64, and that's just the title music. I'll laugh wholeheartedly at the next Amiga owner who says 8-bit is dead, then stick this disk up his bot passage with a cry of "Boot this, sucker!"

Getting back to the review, Savage is a huge, muscle-bound bucket of love, whose ladyfriend has been kidnapped by some evil force and imprisoned in a ghost-filled castle. Of course, Savage wants to get her back. And who wouldn't?

The obvious thing for him to do is to get out the inexhaustible supply of magic axes and go in on a mass killing spree. This he does, running left to right along the long corridors, Trantor-like, until he reaches the exit to the next level. In places along the corridors, there are huge chasms that have to be leaped, often three or more in a row, with only a small pedestal between them. Miss your footing and it's down you go.

Get through the first section, and Savage has to fly on a jetbike through Death Valley. Viewed in 3D with the same kind on stripy, scrolling landscape as games like Out Run and Roadblasters (though much smoother and faster than either of these, and indeed any previous effort) you have to pilot your way between huge green man-eating monoliths while shooting whichever baddies happen to be on the sublevel you are currently on (There are 3). On the first, rotating skulls float eerily in the distance; on the second, large bounding ghosts spring about in front of your gunsight and on the third? That's a surprise.

Savage has made it to the end of Death Valley and has realised that, instead of bringing him closer to his love, it's taken him further away. So he gets back as quick as possible, only to find that his journey has taken him to a different entrance, one far too small for him to fit through, so he calls on the assistance of his Eagle to aid him.

The eagle has to fly through a labyrinth of tunnels and cells in search of the young lady, attacked by and attacking ghosts and statues, avoiding all the traps that can be sprung just by flying in the wrong place. Fly too close to a spike trap and you could find yourself impaled. Try to fly through a group of nasties and instead of just losing energy, you could lose your head!

That's how it looks on paper, but what's the game really like? Excellent is probably the most appropriate word I can come up with. For a start, it's immensely playable, with very fast responses and a difficulty level high enough to keep you coming back for more.

Graphics are among some of the best I've ever seen on the C64. Large and well defined (apart from the main sprite on level 1. Brown! I ask you?!!) The animation is first rate, smooth, fast and realistic. The eagle on level 3 has to be seen to be believed.

The sound though is its highpoint. Lots of great tunes and FX, with lots and lots of samples. The title tune is the best though, probably the best ever. Beating Mega Apocalypse and even the wonderful Commando hi-score table tune hands down.

But Savage. If you don't then you're a bigger nurd than the one on the advertisement!