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If you read the Commodore User review of Gauntlet then you'll have a pretty good idea of what Storm is all about. Storm is a close copy of the C64 and arcade original, Gauntlet.

Mastertronic have also released Storm on the C64 and it will be no surprise to you that these two games bear an even greater resemblance. What is surprising is that the C16 version is almost identical to the C64 one.

Aside from its resemblance to more expensive games for more expensive computers, the most exciting thing about Storm is that it's a simultaneous two-player game. Using two joysticks, two players can play at the same time, each controlling a different character. The two of you work together to collect what must be collected and kill what deserves to be killed.

I always like to say a little about the background to the game because the software companies spend an inordinate amount of effort writing what appears to be the same thing on every inlay. This one has some well whacky names though.

Una Cum for instance is the villain of the piece. He has a laboratory lair in which he holds captive Corrine (only sensible name in the whole game). Corrine is wife of Storm the Warrior who is pretty anxious to have her back. Storm and his mate, Agravain the Undead, must hunt around the various screens looking for Mrs Storm.

Where is Una Cum while all this is going on? Looking for a box called The Fear, that's where. Don't worry about it, it doesn't make any sense to me either.

So the two of you, or just you if you can't find another joystick or player, go in search of Una Cum's lab lair.

But Storm is more than a simple game of hide and seek in a maze. Although the primany objective is to collect three snake brooches and open the door to the lair, there is a lot more to do.

For one thing monsters appear and chase you all over the place, sapping your vital energy. These, however, can be dealt with by shooting them or casting a bit of mask magic. Amulets and scrolls are also very useful in that respect. If you find your energy is getting a bit on the low side, food and energy bottles can be consumed to restore it.

I would say Storm is the kind of game that definitely needs to be played by two people to get the most out of it. Having said that, as a one player game, it still has a lot to offer. One big factor is that it's only £1.99. It has to be a winner at that price.