Super Sprint (Electric Dreams) (Commodore 64/128)

Whether you like it or not will depend on how quickly you can master control of your car. A lot of patience and a responsive joystick will help enormously and, not least, a friend to play it with.

Russia (SSG) (Commodore 64)

An interesting, absorbing and playable wargame.

Tai Pan (Ocean) (Commodore 64/128)

This is completely naff. You have to ask yourself what the point is of spending days crossing a boring ocean, if what's on the other side is exactly the same as what you left behind?

Solomon's Key (US Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

It's fun time, it's groovy, it's addictive... oh, I think you've all probably got the message.

International Karate+ (System 3) (Commodore 64)

International Karate+ is undoubtedly the best beat-'em-up available for any home computer, surpassing even its highly acclaimed predecessor with considerable ease.

How To Be A Complete Bastard (Virgin) (Commodore 64)

I was looking forward to being a complete bastard, but it turned out to be a complete disappointment.

Hysteria (Software Projects) (Commodore 64)

An extremely polished variation on what is really a very old theme. It proves that you don't need 125 levels to make a game challenging. A mere three will do if the difficulty factor has been set right.

Hyper Blobs (Firebird Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

Hyper Blobs is OK, but then there are a lot of OK budget games, and most of them are a quid cheaper.

Arcade Classics (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

Pure nostalgia - pure fun.

Water Polo (Gremlin) (Commodore 64)

The two-player option is by far the most enjoyable (two-player games always are); play it by yourself and you'll find the whole thing pretty uninspired.

Dizzy Dice (Players) (Commodore 64/128)

Although I am a hardened money-waster, I have never before seen a machine as tedious, confusing or lame as this.

Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit (Outlaw) (Commodore 64)

If you've got an idea for a game, but don't have the programming skill to turn it into a reality, this is certainly one way to do it. And don't let anyone tell you it's cheating!

Implosion (Cascade) (Commodore 64)

A pretty good game... It could have been better had the gameplay given you more to do. And Cascade reckon it's so difficult that even the best zapper won't be able to finish it.

X-15 Alpha Mission (Activision) (Commodore 64/128)

X-15 Alpha Mission has some nice touches, like the fuzzed screen and sudden nosedive when you get shot down, and the peculiar robot scenario at the end prevents it from being just another fighter plane shoot-'em-up.

Action Force (Virgin) (Commodore 64)

I can't advise anyone other than a marine or the most ardent Action Force fanatic to part with 'hard earned' for this one. It just doesn't have anything new or compulsive to offer.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (US Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

This is a close conversion of the original coin-op in the sense that none of the essential elements have been left out. However, there are question marks about the quality of that game in the first place. It is basically too easy.

Captain America (US Gold/Go!) (Commodore 64/128)

Obviously, this is a game targeted at dedicated zappers, but it's nice to see that the plot is kept relevant to your actions throughout, and not just an excuse to clear screens, collect bonuses and break your joystick.

Lazer Force (CodeMasters) (Commodore 64/128)

Definitely worth shelling out for just a few hours of reasonably competitive zapping.

Yogi Bear (Piranha) (Commodore 64)

An excellent cartoon conversion.

Moebius (Origin Systems) (Commodore 64/128)

Far too dated now to stand against the competition. And nobody should fork out £20 to be bored witless by this sort of junk.

Blazer (Nexus) (Commodore 64/128)

'Familiarity breeds contempt' they say, something which is true of both Blazer and sadly, Nexus themselves.

Chuck Yeagar's Advanced Flight Trainer (Electronic Arts) (Commodore 64/128)

Chuck Yeagar's Advanced Flight Trainer is a worthy addition to the ones I've already flown and genuinely instructional. Take it for a spin.

Nebulus (Hewson) (Commodore 64/128)

I liked Nebulus because it's got classy graphics and animation, but the gameplay just isn't sufficiently challenging to sustain interest. Being simply very difficult is not good enough.

Thunder-Cats (Elite) (Commodore 64)

This is far from a good game, but doubtless many Thundercats fans will be blinded by the licence.

Impact (Audiogenic) (Amiga 500)

Impact's background scrolling is pretty and the blocks clearly defined, which is no more or less than you would expect on the Amiga.

Terrorpods (Psygnosis) (Amiga 500)

One of the best games yet produced for the Amiga so far.

Diablo (Robtek/Diamond Games) (Amiga 500)

Diablo is the sort of game that just might have been called 'ingenious' on the Spectrum two or three years ago, but it's certainly no advertisement for the Amiga's capabilities.

Grandslam (Eidersoft) (Amiga 500)

Sorry boys, but this is yet another no-no for the Amiga. I do get tired of criticising games for this machine, but the sooner software houses realise they cannot just release rubbish and expect it to sell the better!

Gnome Ranger (Level 9) (Commodore 64/128)

Further Level 9 games from Rainbird are on the way, but in the meantime, here you can enjoy a game of similar standard of excellent to Knight Orc at a much lower and more realistic price.

Yes Prime Minister (Mosaic) (Commodore 64)

This game must inevitably be compared with the Mosaic/Level 9 Mole and Archers games. Yes Prime Minister comes out on top by a long way, since it is the variety in the way the dialogues are presented that helps keep up the interest.