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"Take my advice", Sweevo said to Thing in the lounge of the Exploding Ferret after a particularly trying day.

"Don't ever make a success of your first game. They'll want you back, and it won't be easy."

"Oh that's OK Sweevey", said Thing. "I got the Goblin good in the last game. There's no baddy left to bounce. I'm in the clear".

Just then the doors burst open, and into the smokey pub strode The Sheffield Shnozzler, Gremlin's feared contract man. "So there you are, Thing. Have I got a deal for you!" Then he saw Sweevo. "OK you, hoppit. This is company business". Thing gave Sweevo an apologetic shrug (difficult on a spring, but there you go), and turned to the Shnozzler. "I told you Shnozzy. I was quit when I left, and I'm twice as quit now". Shnoz laughed "Let's face it. You're not Harrison Ford. It's our game or nothing." There was a certain logic to this, so Thing settled down to listen, and listen good.

Although you knobbled the evil Goblin, started Schnozzler, his toy factory is an epitome of fiendish Brentwood technology, and completely automated. As a result, it's been churning out more of' the monstrous playthings than ever before, and you are going to have to stop it. The factory is easy to enter, but once you're in there are at least nine different alien genotypes (Thing disliked funny words, but Schnozzler was educated like) who are out to get you.

Now you're manoeuvrable, so you shouldn't have too many problems with the platforms and features, but you'll have to get used to the pipe system that serves as transport. This sucks you all over the place, but in certain circumstances you can reverse.

The way to stop the factory is to pick up bits of a computer program "... which are lying around the factory" finished Thing in a tired voice, "How did you know that?" asked Schnozzler. "In any case," he continued, "we'll give you good backup. There's a sheet included with pictures of all nine aliens, four bits of computer program and no less than 15 other features of the game."

"How will that help?" said Thing. "Well, the reviewers will read it and be able to write a good review without having to go to the bother of actually loading the game. They like that. They give good write-ups",

"Clever", said Thing. "But it won't work for ACU."

"Nah" said Schnozzler.

The good thing about this game of ours," he went on, "is that it's going to be fast, noisy and colourful. It'll have Iron Chickens, several gremlins called Gerald and Blue Meanies. Hired especially from The Yellow Submarine, those last lot."

"And finally, the clincher. The arguments that are going to persuade you. First, look at these sales figures. Then, look at all these sprites and subroutines we can reuse. Now look at your bank balance."

Thing knew when he was beaten...

This is a game where things happen fast That pulsating blob just got your oil. Go down there and you'll be pulverised so fast it will make your skin go mauve. Hit something twice and you might get a bonus, or you might get a bit of super-structural damage. But you have to do it in under half a second.

All that, wonderful colours, natty noises and an almost irresistible do-it-again factor make this a winner.

Thing on a Spring is one of my favourite games, marred only by its propensity to get caught in an infinite loop. Thing Bounces Back has taken all the original ingredients and improved them, I know that the coiled character will keep me up until three in the morning, trying to defeat the evil machinery.

As with the original a minor slip is likely to put you miles from where you want to be. As Thing slides down a pipe he looks like a player from Tom and Jerry, the bulge depicting his path. I loved this game, it's escapism, and no-one gets hurt. As good as and as different as possible from Barbarian.

My goodness. For once, the fast and furious on the blurb is matched by the game itself. I'm not entirely sure that the over 20's should play this game without being prepared to feel depressed over their slipping reaction time.

And I had a tendency to get stuck in very long loops. where I didn't stop moving but I couldn't break out of a pattern to explore the rest of the screen. That's just me. The game is fine.