Smash TV (Ocean)

A damn good game. I've got my problems with it, sure - the changes to the Mutoid Man screen are particularly bad - but despite my complaints, it still manages to be one of the most enjoyable blasts I've seen all year.

Birds Of Prey (Electronic Arts)

Certainly the most complex flight sim to date, and quite possibly the most enjoyable to play - it's virtually guaranteed to hold your attention for months. But those darn jerky graphics will ruin it for many.

Battle Isle (Ubisoft)

An enormously promising and brave idea which hasn't quite come off.

Oh No! More Lemmings (Psygnosis)

Not as imaginative in its level design as the first instalment but still an excellent game. This lot should keep you going until next Christmas.

Celtic Legends (Ubisoft)

More than enough brainstorming and hack 'n slay to keep you in jollies for ages.

Bonanza Bros (US Gold)

Stylish, but lacking in longevity.

Moonstone (Mindscape)

A simple, arguably mediocre, game hidden beneath glossy presentation... It's not bad, but it could have been so much better.

Realms (Virgin)

A terrific game. It'll take a little getting used to, but Realms offers sufficient brain burn to make it a challenge rather than a drag.

Fuzzball (System 3)

Big, squishy and lovable... This begs to be played. If only it was a little more forgiving.

Barbarian II (Psygnosis)

Shadow Of The Beast fans will love it (as might Heroes Of The Lance fans, at a pinch). It bores the spleen off me though.

Knightmare (Mindscape)

This is a hard RPG game... The idea that sub-twelve year olds might buy it for the TV connection is frightening, too. Don't do it, kids!

Supaplex (Dream Factory)

Presentation is shoddy... There are half-a-dozen PD Boulder Dash games better than this.

Necronom (Linel)

A pretty damn good blaster with a nice line in presentation and a challenge to tax even zapping experts. Auto-firing joysticks compulsory, though.

Lord Of The Rings (Electronic Arts)

It's been written by Tolkien enthusiasts rather than expert programmers, and it shows. There are some great ideas in there, but the game just over-stretches itself. Shame.

Crime Time (Starbyte)

The dated feel of it will send shivers down even the most open-minded gameplay's spine. Crime Time isn't just a step but a giant leap backwards from the 1991 standard of games, and should be avoided at all costs.

World Class Rugby (Audiogenic)

Disappointing for anyone but serious sports tacticians. World Class Rugby has its virtues, but playability and accessibility aren't two of them.

Face Off (Krisalis)

Barring a stroke of unimaginable genius, ice hockey is a game destined never to really work as a computer game. This only succeeds in capturing the impossibleness of it all.

Strike Fleet (Electronic Arts)

Less of a game than an excuse to play around with big ships, and not really what we've come to expect from Lucasfilm at all.

Cardiaxx (Electronic Zoo)

Frustrating and limited gameplay makes this a bad deal... Its heart is in the right place, but its playability hasn't turned up to the party.

Space 1889 (Empire)

Another fine game in the Mega Traveller mould, distinguished by a wonderfully imaginative plot, but a touch more complicated, and I think many people will find it less accessible.

Death Bringer (Empire)

Stunning parallax, nice touches of humour and some lovely in-game graphics generally, but absurdly shallow gameplay makes Death Bringer a waste of the fifteen minutes you'll spend actually playing it.

4D Sports Boxing (Mindscape)

Respect is due for the unique approach, but it's all to no avail. A comprehensive simulation with poor playability's as much use as a chocolate mouth-guard.

Dragon Fighter (Idea)

Too many glitches... The scrolling aspect looks decidedly limp and the whole game nosedives into a black hole of mediocrity.

Hagar The Horrible (Kingsoft)

Not a terrible game exactly, but one which the existence of a budget market renders more or less pointless.

Alien Storm (US Gold)

OK, the graphics look great, and the overall presentation is in fact very slick. But fighting the aliens is too brawlish and haphazard - the novelty soon wears off.

Magic Garden (Electronic Zoo)

Odd garden management game coming across as a sort of twee Sim City (with gnomes). Not exactly a total disaster by any means, but very much a specialist taste.

Champion Driver (Idea)

Very fast and slick scrolling racer... Brilliant fun in the short term but lacking longevity.

Chase H.Q. (The Hit Squad)

Even if you liked the original coin-op, this is crap on the Amiga. It's next to impossible.

Chart Attack (Gremlin)

Nothing here lets the side down at all - this is a good solid compilation of reasonably varied games that'll keep you entertained for a few weeks at least.

Austerlitz (Mirror Image)

A quality wargame at a bargain price, but (as usual) for wargame connoisseurs.

Altered Beast (The Hit Squad)

While you couldn't really justify calling it awful... But it certainly doesn't warrant anything more than a passing glance now.

Tilt (Codemasters)

Fun and addictive reaction-tester, fair as budget but not something you'll come back to much after you've made a bit of initial progress.

Voyager (The Hit Squad)

Initial impressions of a pretty dull arcade adventureish thing quickly give way to an enjoyable and highly atmospheric Battlezone-type blaster with lots going for it.

The Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Character Collection (Hi-Tec)

An uninspired collection of titles with little to recommend it... Some fun to be had, but not much.

Power Drift (The Hit Squad)

A dated and technically duff racer that somehow manages to still be quite good fun.

Ghostbusters II (The Hit Squad)

A dreadful film licence which epitomises everything that's wrong with the genre. Sell your body to medical science while you're still using it rather than form out any cash on this lump of unforgiveable tosh.

Stunt Car Racer (Kixx)

Rick Dangerous (Kixx)

Tedious, repetitive, and annoying - it's about time the Rick Dangerous myth was laid to rest.

Bloodwych (Mirror Image)

Being a role playing game means that a fair degree of concentration and (dare I say) strategy is involved, but, if you're prepared to commit the necessary braincells, there's a load of entertainment here.