Exile (Audiogenic) (Commodore 64/128)

Exile represents the future of arcade adventures. It's as simple as that.

Switch Blade (Gremlin) (Commodore 64/128)

Both the nifty display and the mini diversionary tunnels make exploration thrill. Good for several days' play.

Extreme (Digital Integration) (Commodore 64/128)

Extreme? It's anything but. It's too short, too easy, badly designed and what good features there are have been lost in the mire of poor gameplay. Groans and massive disappointment all round.

Frost Byte (MicroValue) (Commodore 64/128)

Frost Byte basically has three faults: (a) it's too hard, (b) it's frustratingly difficult and (c) a+b. Take my advice and avoid it.

Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager (Cognito) (Commodore 64/128)

Roar as your team scores. Boo as the opposition rocket a penalty past your goalie. There are loads of features, all easily accessed through the icons. You'll find a wealth of depth of play if you want to scratch beneath the slick and deceptively simple surface.

Multimixx 1 (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

This is a corker. However, if you're unsure about or simply don't like golf sims then no game is likely to change your mind.

Multimixx 2 (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

Although these games are dearly loved by many, they do show their age somewhat now.

Forgotten Worlds (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

A slick and highly accurate arcade conversion that is slightly marred by awkward controls.

Gary Lineker's Hot Shot (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

It's pretty smooth, has loads of options but, alas and alack, it's far too easy to master.

Armalyte (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

A quality blaster through and through

Hawkeye (Kixx) (Commodore 64/128)

There's nothing else to this than run left for an item, then run right for another one and repeating the process ad nauseam. Polished it might be, but the bottom line is tedium.

The Magic Candle (Mindcraft) (Commodore 64/128)

The Magic Candle's strength lies in its internal consistency. It only takes a read of the game manual to realise that you've got a lot of game. But it looks and feels old fashioned, not otherworldly.

Keys To Maramon (Mindcraft) (Commodore 64/128)

Action-packed... but well paced, quite deep but not complex. Go on, unlock the adventure ahead. Maramon needs you.

Security Alert (First Star) (Commodore 64)

Don't bother if you've only got a tape-based C64, but, for disk users, it offers something totally new, scary (if you turn off the lights) and demanding. It's not a game you should expect to get the hang of easily but it's completely different from anything else you're likely to come across.

Gem'X (Demonware) (Commodore 64/128)

Slickly coded and comes with neat visuals and a typically Germanic array of easily pleasing tunes and tinkly sound effects. Puzzle people who want another game (to burn even more of their brain cells) will shine to this.

World Championship Soccer (Elite) (Commodore 64/128)

It may be among the first division of footy games but it won't bring the Cup home. Throw-ins, corners and goal kicks are all slow to operate and more inaccurate than they really needed to be.

The Power (Demonware) (Commodore 64/128)

The simple graphics work well, the sound is great and the playability is absolutely mammoth. If you missed out on last year's puzzle game glut, this is worth closer inspection.

RBI 2 (Domark) (Commodore 64/128)

Flawed it may be... but RBI2 makes a home run!