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Following up from our exclusive preview in the June issue, Thunder Jaws has hit the streets with a bang! If you haven't managed to locate it yet, start looking harder, because this is one blast you don't want to miss out on.

Female swimmers have been disappearing in the region of Madame Q's hidden fortress and, finally, the initial rumours are confirmed; deep in the dark ocean, Madame Q is carrying out hideous human experiments to create a new breed of mutants - half human, half lizard.

Your task is to don your diving gear and infiltrate Madame Q's defences before the whole shebang gets out of hand.

Using some supersmooth scrolling and special effects, Thunderjaws is a joy to play from start to finish, if you make it that far of course. Along the way, each separate level is guarded by some pretty horrific creatures, and each stage will see you battling it out underwater and inside a part of the evil fortress.

To start off with, you only have a few divers and sharks to deal with, along with the missile bases, of course. However, as you progress onto dry land, you'll meet up with the likes of the Fire woman, the Battle Tanks and the Robo-Dogs. Let one of the latter catch up with you and you'll be nursing a very sore ankle for some time.

At the end of each level, you must make it to the Control Room and despatch with a very mean guardian, before you can go any further.

Fast and frenetic trigger action is what this one's all about, so keep your eyes peeled at all times for extra ammo to boost your firepower. Your conventional Uzi works wonders, but an Explosive Bolt, a Tri Shot or the superb Super Seeker will help you out no end.

Along the way, you'll need to pickup first aid and oxygen supplies as well, to keep you healthy enough to carry on.

The going is certainly tough from the very start and it is just as well that a very handy continue option is included, allowing you to pick up where you left off, instead of battling from the very beginning again.

Mastering the controls is simple enough, even though it may take a little time to get used to the delayed actions of underwater environments.

At all times, however, remember the horrid fate that awaits those defenceless women if you fail. It's all up to you, so take the battle to the bad guys in this excellently original, underwater shoot-'em-up. Superb value for money and a totally addictive blast, well done Domark.