Bubble Bobble (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

Bubble Bobble has me foaming at the mouth, but it's not an adverse reaction, I'm just bursting with enthusiasm.

Mega Apocalypse (Martech) (Commodore 64/128)

A shoot-'em-up for the professional marksman. It lacks the sophistication of game design of, say, a Zynaps or a Delta - but for sheer frenetic blasting it hits the spot.

Street Sports Baseball (Epyx) (Commodore 64/128)

I think Street Sports Baseball is brilliant. It's realistic, has all the elements of a real fame - the kind ordinary people play - and is just as much fun.

Mrs. Mop (Reaktor) (Commodore 64)

A good sadistic little creation from Reaktor, who are now beginning to produce some excellent products.

Pile Up (Reaktor/Ariolasoft) (Commodore 64)

A very demanding and very expensive game that's not much fun to play and will appeal to only a few.

On The Tiles (Odin/Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

A lot of forethought and strategy is called for, as you plan the cat's movements through each level, and some fish on subsequent levels can only be reached if the cat enters at roof-top level from the previous screen.

The Living Daylights (Domark) (Commodore 64/128)

The film was the worst Bond ever and at least the computerised Bond is a better actor than Timothy Dalton. In fact, playing the game was altogether more enjoyable than watching the film.

Toad Force (Players) (Commodore 64/128)

Definitely one of the best budget releases in many moons.

Deliverance (The Power House) (Commodore 64)

Power House are slowly but surely emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

Destructo (Bulldog) (Commodore 64/128)

I reckon that, underneath his evil exterior, Dr. Destructo is a really nice bloke. I think he wouldn't be half as mean if somebody put him in a decent game for a change.

Jackle And Wide (Bulldog) (Commodore 64)

The word to describe this is unremarkable. It's reminiscent of early C16 games, but with better graphics.

Centurions (Reaktor) (Commodore 64)

The graphics and sound are both fairly modest, but the title screen is absolutely spectacular and definitely one of the best I've seen in a long time. It's like Gauntlet with a little additional brain challenge.

Pirates Of The Barbary Coast (Cascade) (Commodore 64/128)

Not dreadful; it's just rather, well, dull.

Black Magic (Datasoft/US Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

It's well programmed and well designed. But, however competent the execution, the idea is as flat as Watneys on a warm day.

Scary Monsters (Odin/Firebird) (Commodore 64)

About as chilling and sinister as a geography lesson.

California Games (Epyx) (Commodore 64/128)

Many software houses aim to reach perfection: Epyx are far and away the closest.

The Astonishing Adventures Of Mr. Weems And The She Vampires (Piranha) (Commodore 64)

Action is as fast and furious as you'd expect but without the teamwork element to add interest, it all becomes very futile. That sums up the game really.

Game Over (Imagine) (Commodore 64/128)

The sounds are good (for a laugh), so are the graphics (for an even bigger laugh) and there's a nipple on the front cover. Altogether, it's another flop from Imagine.

Druid II: Enlightenment (Firebird) (Commodore 64)

A spellbindingly excellent game and - from a company that also markets cheapos - a reminder of the home truth that you get what you pay for.

Prohibition (Infogrames) (Commodore 64)

A game that's totally lacking in depth or sustained interest.

High Frontier (Activision) (Commodore 64)

A good game based on a situation we hope will never happen, but it's slightly worrying that the way to win is to lie to the President!

The Tube (Quicksilva) (Commodore 64)

It all looks the same to me. The tunnels are much of a muchness, with only slight variations between them.

Battleships (Elite) (Commodore 64/128)

Everyone laughed at Steve Wilcox, Elite's boss, when he suggested Battleships as a computer game. Now he's doing the laughing.

Pirates! (MicroProse) (Commodore 64)

In terms of realism, historical accuracy, gameplay and fun, Pirates! has it all. Describing the various aspects of the game simply doesn't do it justice.

Amiga Karate (Eidersoft) (Amiga 500)

A fairly good game, but not really what we should expect from an Amiga.

Karate Kid II (Microdeal) (Amiga 500)

Although converted from the Atari ST, Microdeal have had the good sense not to rest on their laurels in the conversion and have added six more action screens, which drastically improve the game's lastability.

Space Quest (Sierra) (Amiga 500)

Categorically awful. You'll be so bored you fall asleep before you ever find somewhere new. And however you control Roger Wilco, the real problem is the speed at which he moves. Sloths are more agile!

Winter Games (Epyx) (Amiga 500)

As with all Epyx games, what makes Winter Games stand head and shoulders above the competition is the attention to detail.

Knight Orc (Rainbird) (Amiga 500)

As well as an advanced parser, Knight Orc sports an OOPS command which takes you back a number of moves if you make an error of judgement.

Guild Of Thieves (Rainbird) (Commodore 64/128)

If you own an Amiga, get Guild Of Thieves without delay. The disk swapping business is a bit of a pain though.

Rigel's Revenge (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64)

The best budget title I have yet seen - and better than many a 'full-price' adventure too.