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The packaging claims that The Living Daylights is closely based on the film. I haven't seen the film, but I don't think it would add anything if I had!

The Living Daylights is a sort of Commando/Green Beret clone featuring eight sideways-scrolling levels and enemies of various flavours. The idea is fairly simple; help 007 battle through the levels with his trusty Walther PPK before confronting his arch enemy, Brad Whittaker, and winning the favour of the beautiful Czechoslovak cellist Kara (she's only mentioned on the packaging).

The eight levels are meant to represent different international locations, ranging from Gibraltar to Tangier. I suppose the background graphics are slightly different!

Most screens involve a left-to-right fash while gunning down as many of the enemy as you can. And there are other dangers, like falling girders, poisonous darts and even flying milk bottles thrown by Necros, the obligatory ruthless killer.

Between each level, you retire briefly to Q's workshop to pick up the latest secret weapon. It could be a crossbow, a mortar or even a ghetto-blaster! Unfortunately, there are four to choose from in each case, only one of which is useful, and you have five seconds to choose it!

Gameplay is quite fiddly, especially as the instructions don't list all the keys! (The : and / keys are jump and duck.) When under fire, cursor/gunsight movement is rather slow, making shooting soldiers difficult. The sprites are not detailed but are adequate. The backgrounds are slightly better but do not scroll very smoothly.

This isn't the best game I've seen, and has very little to recommend it except for the Mode 1 digitised loading picture of Timothy Dalton!