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It's a cult movie. Everybody loves the Blues Brothers. It did wonders for the sales of Ray-Bans and, if it's not in your top five films of all time, you're classed as desperately untrendy. Certainly a tough act for an ST game to follow, but Titus have courageously had a go.

The game they've come up with is in a platform style, with you playing either Jake or Elwood Blues - or both, if you opt for two players. What you must do is make your way through five levels looking for musical equipment such as a guitar, a microphone and an amp. This plot remains similar to the movie's, where the Brothers are planning a big concent in Chicago.

But really it's just an excuse for five levels of platform-hopping set in different locations. The character you've chosen starts off downtown with the cops after him. He must crawl, leap, run and bounce his way past them, avoiding their gunfire, to get into what looks like a disused warehouse - but it could conceivably be any large, square, empty building. The obstacles in your character's path are arranged so you have the barest breathing space between them. There are traditional moving-back-and-forth baddies, plus the shoot-at-regular-intervals ones. The collision detection is harsh enough to force you to pixel perfect timing or you don't get very far.

The character sprites are brilliant. They've got the cool shades, the thin tie and the, er, interesting hat. As they run around they do look like small cartoons, and the bits where they dance are especially impressive. Things move very quickly, too. The Brothers run everywhere - unless they're crawling, but they do that at breakneck speed, as well - crossing the screen in a micro-second.

Titus have opted for a screen flipper rather than continuous scrolling. This makes the speed a disadvantage because it's possible to disappear off the other side of the screen before it flips and lets you see what's in score. The answer is to take it slowly, stopping whenever you can.

The Blues Brothers is a pretty nifty platform game. It's smooth, fast and big. It's difficult and contains quirks like the wicked collision detection. But it does lack atmosphere. Sure, the Brothers look good as little sprites, but apart from that there isn't any reference to the film. It doesn't feel Bluesy and there aren't many reminders of who you're actually meant to be playing.

If you aren't really too bothered about the plot or the licence, you might find The Blues Brothers a nicely produced and challenging platform game. However, if you buy it because you're a fan of Jake and Elwood Blues the chances are that you're going to be disappointed. Even the soundtrack doesn't do them justice.

1. Fast, even furious platformer with cute cartoon-style graphics, a bit like Rick Dangerous.
2. Doesn't tie up well with the licence like, say, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.
3. Soundtrack is disappointing for a game based on a musical film and featuring a band.