Defender by any other name, but with a multitude of features poked into 16K. There is an expanded screen accommodating double-width characters yet still leaving room to manoeuvre your craft - with superb control from the joystick. Whenever you ease off the thrust, there is gradual deceleration; change of direction is instantaneous when needed.

Also to aid you in your quest to protect the purple humanoids from the green landers: smart bombs (RETURN), temporary invisibility (RIGHT SHIFT); jump to hyperspace (SPACE); radar (F3). And lastly you can jump through the glittering stargate to reappear at the scene of another abduction.

Your laser fire is portrayed in multi-colour mode (a Vic forte) as are the mutants which consequently appear to have actually mutated! Great stuff. Aiding and abetting the said transmogrification are white diamond 'space hums' and green saucers (tricky blighters). Naturally space mines are discharged with gay abandon, so to be at all successful plenty of practice is essential together with a degree of verse.

To sum up; a program with plenty of meat and a colourful screen display (avoiding the mistake of tiny blue objects in a black sky) aided by a strong sound department. If there is a better version of Defender for our Vics, please let me have a copy...