Trio (Hit-Pak)

Three very different games for the price of one. Lots to get into with all three games.

Wonderboy (Activision)

Not all that it could have been... Its slow animation is annoying... And yet I don't think this will disappoint many people - it's fun.

Fifth Quadrant (Bubble Bus)

Intricate graphics but a difficult mission to complete... It's not easy to get into and I'd have preferred it in the budget range.

Slap Fight (Imagine)

Pick up objects to increase firepower; blast away... It may not win points for originality, but it is very playable and addictive.

Shadow Skimmer (The Edge)

Detailed and colourful sprites and backgrounds but little challenge and the game isn't large or complicated enough.

Exolon (Hewson)

You'll not only marvel about how this game looks but you'll be totally hooked by the action.

Starfox (Reaktor/Ariolasoft)

Well thought out and extremely playable. The eye-catching graphics and smooth, fast-moving filled vector shapes make this game a real treat.

F-15 Strike Eagle (Microprose)

All targets appear in vector graphics and I personally found this game extremely exciting... Love the game, hate the nationalism.

Zynaps (Hewson)

Brilliant title music plus plenty of tough levels to get through... The varying weapon choice also adds to the fun.

The Living Daylights (Domark)

Not a classic by any means but should provide plenty of entertainment... Much better than the last Bond game.

Mutants (Ocean)

A disappointing game with a good idea. Some zones are too similar and too easy.

Quartet (Activision)

There is a good idea here, but it's lost somewhere in the colour clash, tinny sound and horrific use of colour!

Samurai Trilogy (Gremlin)

Same old combat stuff with nowhere to go but downhill... Drab colours used for everything too.

Election (Virgin)

It's interesting exploring, trying to win votes and utilising the different electioneering tactics possible... But it crashed several times!

Mountie Mick's Death Ride (Reaktor)

Fairly good scrolling of the train... though the controls are awkward to get used to. Not bad for a fiver.

Deathscape (Starlight)

Overpriced for what it is, which is wave after wave of the same sort of stuff. There's certainly no shortage of things to shoot though.

Balloon Challenge (Virgin)

The tasks are simple and lack variety, making the game repetitive, although the two-player option adds some interest.

Greyfell (Starlight)

Single colour graphics, slooooooow movement and gameplay so frustrating that it will likely prove too much.

Rick Hanson (Robico)

Robico is obviously used to receiving plaudits from BBC owners but programs like this just won't wash nowadays at full price in the Amstrad market.

Malevolence (The Page Family)

This hasn't yet been picked up by a professional software house, and honestly I'm not surprised.

Brainless (Paul Thomas)

Brainless is anarchic, chronically programmed, but shows an energetic imagination that could, with considerable dollops of help, produce an interesting game.