Can that really be Fred Flintstone in an England strip? And what is Peter Beardsley doing in a biplane with Saint and Greavsie? Rob Mead gets out his spyglasses and peers through the murk

This compilation from Grandslam is packed to brimming with some very old games... and it shows. None of the offerings here are particularly outstanding and the whole package looks decidedly flaky. The manual bears little or no relation to the contents of the box and what little information you do get merely tells you which keys to use and gives a sketchy outline of the plot if you're lucky. Still, before we deny the condemned man his final meal, let's have a look to see what's on offer.

This footy sim enables you to get your boots dirty on the pitch playing a variety of international teams. All the action is viewed from a bird's eye perspective, the gameplay is fast and the scrolling is slick. However, this game looks tremendously dated, especially in the light of offerings like Sensible Soccer.

All your players run around the pitch together with an arrow indicating which one you're supposed to be controlling. There's a practice penalties option, which is a cinch to get the hang of - the whole game presents little challenge and is sadly lacking in realism.

At last, something resembling entertainment. In this game you have to paint the walls of the Flintsone home while keeping Pebbles and her manic graffiti pen at bay. If you're not successful Wilma comes in and stops you going bowling.

When you do eventually get to the alley, you have to take on your ol' pal Barney. Then, when you've done all that, it's back to sorting out the mischievous Pebbles who has suicidal tendencies. The graphics are reasonable - Fred and Wilma look like their cartoon counterparts, but you soon feel rigor mortis settling in and head off to watch the real thing on the TV.

Obviously a board game of some kind, but since the rather poor manual tells you nothing whatsoever about how to play the game, it's difficult to know what to say about it. The only assistance you get is from the Help button in the Detente menu which tells you what the aim of the game is, then you're left to your own devices. Obviously you have to be a top secret agent to be able to crack the rules of the game and play along.

One consolation, when you've eventually worked it out, is that up to four players can squint at the tiny sprites on the screen at once. Oh dear.

This time around you get a realistic spectator's eye view of events, Instead of the bird's eye view of England.

There's a two player option and you can choose which teams you want to play against in tournaments. To play the game you simply point the joystick in the intended direcction and dribble away. Holding down the Fire button increases the power of a kick and throw-ins are controlled in the same way. Again, a little arrow indicates which of your players is in control of the ball.

The graphics are reasonable, though the sight of all those sprites ploughing up and down the pitch can make gameplay a little confused.

A tedious game based on the tedious film. You get to do a lot of running, jumping, kicking baddies and being cruel to animals. As you progress through the levels there are various weapons you can pick up and there's also a puzzle element in the form of Uplink codes which can help you restore your health. The control mechanism isn't very easy to use and, instead of bursting into a sprint, you can end up pirouetting into the ground instead.

The graphics are OK, but they can't divert your attention away from the fact that this game is one big zero.

Hurrah! A shoot-'em-up aeroplane adventure. You have to shoot and bomb your way through six missions and eventually destroy an enemy command ship. There are a variety of targets including tanks, gun emplacements and other planes, but because you start off with five lives, pick up smart bombs and get loads of continues you can finish this game in about ten minutes. Still, it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?

This is another arcade/platform adventure with you controlling Terry as he collects mushrooms, kills slugs and avoids getting his hair wet. Collect the letters which make up Terry's name to get invincibility and EXTRA for extra lives.

There are sub-levels and bonus screens which all go to make this an addictive and exciting adventure in a cute 'Dizzy-ish' kind of way. However, the graphics aren't up to Dizzy standard, though gameplay is slick and the joystick controls are easy to use. The pick of the bunch in a substandard collection.

The old gits of sports TV invite you to take part in a footy trivia quiz asking questions like: "From which foot did Kevin Keegan have a corn removed in 1972?" This is utterly pointless, but the game does seem to have a certain smug charm - just look at all those wonderful digitised images of the lads themselves and revel in their gratuitous commentary.

There are three difficulty levels and you get one point for a Home question, or two for an Away question - get a question right and you score a goal. If you use the one player option you're the only bod in the league and, consequently, no mattre how badly you do, Saint and Greavsie commend you on your playing ability. For people who collect footy bubble gum cards of the '60s and '70s only.

You can choose from one of six national caricatures - Henri Beaucoup, Fortiscue Smithe, Herr Kruche, Big John Caine and (ho ho) Wu Pong. The aim is to collect a series of abandoned objects and use them to create an asteroid deflector to save the planet, blah blah. Yawn.

Each of the objects has a special purpose, but, luckily, you don't have to carry them yourself because a band of obliging natives with bones through their noses has been roped in to help you. As you traipse around the levels you're assaulted by a variety of flying lizards, snakes and acid rain drops. Again Grandslam's manual tells you precious little and you're left to sort it all out for yourself. This game is despicably crap - even offensive - so you find yourself hoping that the asteroid arrives as soon as possible.

Of all the compilations reviewed this month, this has to be the worst. The games, by and large, are terrible and there's nothing here which could capture even the most feeble imagination. The manual is useless and features instructions for games not even included in the collection, what information there is is very sketchy and you have to work out how to do things for yourself.

A get-rich-quick compilation from Grandslam, then, which sticks in the throat.