The Hobbit (Melbourne House)

On any micro, this is a significant advance over simpler adventures written in Basic, but it doesn't, in my opinion, come near any of the Infocom series.

Adventure Trilogy (Dragon Data)

Incomprehensible... I couldn't make out what was meant to be happening most of the time, and I've had more interesting adventures shopping in Neasden.

House Of Death (Tansoft)

While the dialogue can be somewhat limited, for a 48K game House Of Death offers the maximum entertainment.

Crazy Balloon (Software Projects)

Crazy Balloon does little to earn its name. The colours are pretty, the sound is minimal and the gameplay rarely climbs above mildly frustrating.

Monsters And Magic (Dragon Data)

Some might prefer this role-playing exercise to the more traditional adventure. For me, it had only limited appeal. I prefer brainteasers alongside the bloodletting.

Dracula's Revenge (Softek)

Dracula's Revenge lacks a two-player function, but the action is remarkably smooth and instantly addictive.

Tee Off (Dragon Data)

The animation is hesitant and sound sparse. Personally I'd like to bury the thing in the nearest bunker and forget about it.

Dreadnoughts (Lothlorien) & Admiral Graf Spee (Temptation)

Does not address the contemporary problem of range-finding in any way. Overall, I feel the ultimate naval wargame has yet to come.

Fighter Pilot (Digital Integration)

The program runs in 100% machine code and is compatible with all the major joysticks. At the moment it's in a class of its own... and I reckon it'll take some beating.

Shaft (Dragon Data)

Very ho hum. A game that requires very little skill... Success depends largely on the random arrangement of the moving lifts.

Airstrike 2 (English)

Probably English Software's best title... A very nice touch indeed is the provision of subterranean and overhead branches off the main tunnel.

Krystals Of Zong (PSS)

The action is slow and the graphics are nothing to scream about, but there are several little touches that make the game fun.

Skramble (Microdeal)

The graphics are colourful, the scrolling smooth and the challenge quote gruesomely high.

Ugh! (Softek)

Wonderful things have been coaxed from the Welsh micro's graphics and the sound is great.

Freez'Bees (Silversoft)

Good graphics and smooth playing action make this an enjoyable and original program which, whether you use keyboard or joystick, should keep you amused for some time.

Wonderworm (Havensoft)

A game with a sense of humour and a lot going for it.

Beamrider (Activision)

A pretty-looking game with mighty fine sound.

Hunter (Terminal)

Incredibly smooth graphics, great sound and addictive gameplay.

Q*Bert (Parker Bros)

Control on this game is not simple as Q*Bert can only hop in diagonal directions but Intellivision's infamous control discs compound this problem and make a lot of practice necessary.

Paratroopers (Rabbit)

An unsatisfactory game, with a Nuremberg-style plotline and an unhappily bug-like habit of hanging up just when you don't need it.

Death Cruise (Virgin)

A nicely executed idea, with a multi-player option that makes it a winner in the family fun department.

Cosmonaut (Melbourne House)

A basic running, jumping, standing still game. OK for a wet afternoon.

Shuttlezap (Dragon Data)

A dodo. As pilot of the slowest space shuttle ever bolted together you must crawl into the upper atmosphere and disable a fleet of hostile alien satellites. Presumably by boring them out of the skies.

Bandits At 3 O' Clock (Micro Power)

One of those rare games that can be classed as sheer fun.