Amsoft is certainly squeezing the most out of its Roland character. The latest task for the poor hero is solving tricky 3D patterns. The game's rather like QBert, except that the only hazard is jumping off a platform into thin air.

Astronomy seems to be enjoying a wave of interest at the moment with programs for the Spectrum and, more notably, the BBC. Amsoft has now released Star Watcher. It's pricey, but there are two programs; one develops your knowledge of the subject, the other displays the night sku.

Castle Quest is undoubtedly one of the best games for the BBC and cries out to be converted (and hopefully extended) for other machines. It's a real arcade adventure, Micro Power has got the blend just right. You control a character, who has to collect items and solve problems, all in a scrolling levels and ladders game. The problems are fiendishly clever.

BBC adventure fans should note Island Of Xaan, it's a machine code adventure which uses text-compression techniques to get round the Beeb's memory limitations.

Some games programmers have a very odd sense of humour. Combine this with a desire to produce games with some topical theme and you might come up with Seaside Special. First help Radium Rodney collect radioactive seaweed from Rotaway Beach, then zoom off to Downing Street to throw it at the evil Polytikians, who resembler some Tory MPs. The game's amusing but the plot's thin.