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Oh dear... because some old professor has been playing around with a time machine, I (and you, if you buy the game) have to go and risk my neck for the sake of civilisation.

To save the world, I have to go into this professor's lab and pick up the artefacts he acquired whilst on his time travels.

This lab is about ten levels high. On the floor there are artefacts to be picked up. When you pick up something, your percentage rating rises by around two percent. You will also notice other shapes on the floor. These are lift passes which enable you to be transported over any large hole in the floor without falling down a level. There is also another form of lift, you will not need a pass for these, they have the simple action of taking you up a level.

All this sounds unbelievably easy, but remember I haven't told you about the cyborgs yet, walking heaps of crap metal who bash you around the head causing your endurance level to drop rapidly, and give you a headache - didn't those fools at HQ think of giving you a can of Castrol GTX or even a simple laser?

When battling with the cyborgs, you must either kick or punch them until their energy drops to zero, or simply boot them down one of the holes in the floor. Killing a cyborg also causes your percentage rating to rise a few decimals. When you get this up to 10 you can attempt to replace an artefact.

When you do, you'll be transported to the correct time zone and given the chance to replace one of the ten articles. You must dodge boulders crashing down on to your head. When you've done all that, you will be transported back to the above, nine more times.

The Fifth Axis is extremely similar to Impossible Mission, even the characters have the same animation. But, as is the case with any classic, be it film, book or computer game, the imitators pale next to the original.

That's not to say that this is a lousy rip-off. It is not, it's a totally different game in its own right. But in all fairness, it is just too mediocre in every way: graphics, sound and gameplay. I'd look elsewhere for a good arcade adventure, and if you haven't got Impossible Mission...