Amaurote (Mastertronic)

Stunning originality for a budget game with good animation on Arachnus and the insects.

Hydrofool (Faster Than Light)

Frantic gameplay, great animation... Excellent Rob Hubbard music throughout game.

Passengers On The Wind (Infogrames)

Originality and innovation like this should be rewarded, so although this won't appeal to all players, it's the shape of the future for computer games.

Nemesis (Konami)

Pretty-coloured graphics with a lot of tough waves to get through, though there's not much else to do but shoot.

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (Gremlin)

The last of a popular line which won't win any prizes for originality... Flight is an unnecessary perk.

Despotik Design (Ere Informatique)

An enjoyable game, but not quite up to the standards of Get Dexter.

Terror Of The Deep (Mirrorsoft)

Good idea, shame about the implementation.

Saboteur 2 (Durell)

An excellent game for those who like a lot of running around and mapping.

Red Scorpion (Quicksilva)

Nice try, but no cigar. The slow response-time makes it hard to persevere.

Thrust II (Firebird)

A gallant attempt to improve upon the original.

Parabola (Firebird)

A novel little bouncing game that's well worth a couple of quid... The screens tend to get a bit repetitive, but some are quite tough.

Arkanoid (Imagine)

A game of incredibly addictive reaction gameplay with 32 screens that get extremely tough.

Krakout (Gremlin)

Great fun, instantaneous addiction, great title tune and good effects.

Challenge Of The Gobots (Reaktor/Ariolasoft)

It is a spruced-up shoot-'em-up, but has a pick-'em-up element as well. Recommended.

Leviathan (English)

Lots of aliens, lots of levels... A lot of practice will be needed if you're going to get far.

Mr. Weems And The She-Vampires (Piranha)

Could've been better... The graphics are detailed and there's lots to explore. However, the screens are cluttered and lacking colour. Lots of objects and monsters make it all a trifle confusing.

Army Moves (Imagine)

A polished game in almost every aspect - except its unplayability. It's just too hard.

Metrocross (US Gold)

A good conversion with many original touches.

Stryfe (Ere Informatique)

Repetitive and over-simple. The Gauntlet clones have had their day.

Bubbler (Ultimate)

Detailed characters and animation... A departure for Ultimate, let down by awkward control.

Pneumatic Hammers (Firebird)

A good idea for a game and initially intriguing - but it doesn't work.

League Challenge (Atlantis)

Offers nothing new on previous games. But it does gets tough, particularly the monetary side of management, so it just about has the edge on Football Manager.

The Fear (Mastertronic)

A worthy sequel to Storm... The gameplay is similar but tougher.

Jackle & Wide (Bulldog)

An interesting departure for Stephen Curtis' previous games, but there's nothing to really get you excited or hooked.

Enduro Racer (Activision)

An average game... It's tough to begin with, but once you know the circuits it shouldn't pose too much trouble.

Livingstone, I Presume (Alligata)

I took to this Spanish game: its humour and demanding tasks are enough to keep me satisfied.

Bureaucracy (Infocom/Activision)

I hate this game, I keep playing it and I simply have to urge you to go out and buy it... Keep the aspirin ready during play.

Murder On The Atlantic (Infogrames)

The French have tremendous enthusiasm for home computing but this would seem to suggest that they still have quite a way to go on the programming side.