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Cute is the only way to describe the feathery hero of Ocean's latest game - you play a little yellow kiwi. Kiwis are normally big and brown with a long beak, but this is evidently a mutant kiwi that bears a closer resemblance to a chick than anything else. Nevertheless it's cute and feathery and that's what counts.

New Zealand is not surprisingly the scene of the action, which revolves around the kiwi hero and his attempts to rescue a caged kiwi companion. You're armed with a little bow and have to leap and run around the platforms evading or shooting some qually cute opponents. After a while you'll find your feathered friend and after a little flutter you go on to the next level where you have to rescue yet another birdie.

Life would be simple if it wasn't for the other inhabitants of New Zealand, who seem have a pathological hatred of cute, yellow flightless birds. Your foes include little boys wielding boomerangs that do come back, bats that drop things on your head, bears riding teddy bear heads, snails and owls on duckback.

At the end of every fourth level there's a tougher opponent to deal with, and then it's off to another New Zealand city for more platform-leaping frolics.

Some sections of the game are underwater and the fearless feathered fellow is forced to don snorkel and mask. Oxygen is slowly used up while you're underwater and so you have to periodically surface for another lungful of air. Running out of oxygen has fatal consequences.

Extras can be picked up to help you in your quest, like bombs and letters which are worth bonus points. When you shoot the nasty horrible people that get in your way they turn into fruit (!) which you can also collect for points. Other things that prove essential are teddy bear heads, ducks and balloons. Why, you ask? Because you're a kiwi and never really got to grips with this flying lark and so need more mundane methods of aerial transport.

The sprites are nice and wholesome, with simple but effective animation. There are plenty of nice touches like the snorkel and re-uniting of the little birdies. A tune plays throughout the game and although not the best bit of music ever heard on an ST it's good enough. Sound effects are good, especially when you lose a life - a distraught series of chirps are uttered from the injured bird.

Everything about the game radiates cuteness, from the little boys thriving boomerangs to the little chirp that you utter when you lose a life. It's rare for an arcade conversion to be good and playable, but the utter cuteness of the game along with the infuriatingly addictive gameplay combine to make it excellent fun.

In some ways it's reminiscent of Bubble Bobble by Firebird, with the platform jumping and monsters turning into edible substances - but that's something in its favour, Bubble Bobble was an excellent game. Pack away the mindlessly violent part of your nature and get into some serious silliness.