Gauntlet II (U. S. Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

What we have here is the first Gauntlet with a lot more thrown in and a few more little touches and refinements, some of which undoubtedly add to the enjoyment of this already thoroughly enjoyable - and seriously tough - C64 classic.

Platoon (Ocean) (Commodore 64/128)

Without doubt one of the best film tie-ins to appear on the C64.

Predator (Activision) (Commodore 64)

One of the best film tie-ins to appear on the C64, only overshadowed marginally by Platoon.

World Tour Golf (Electronic Arts) (Commodore 64)

An excellent alternative to Leaderboard, particularly if you want representations of actual courses, and the construction set on its own makes it worth a look.

Galactic Games (Activision) (Commodore 64/128)

It's nicely presented and the introductions to the various games will make you laugh. However, you do expect a little than this from a game like Galactic Games.

Bangkok Knights (System 3) (Commodore 64)

The graphics throughout are exquisite, and full of details that you tend to overlook on first play - like the beggar and his cat, the eyes in the undergrowth, the splashing puddles - and there are some nifty dissovles and fade-outs.

Rastan (Ocean) (Commodore 64/128)

The most recent batch of conversions have been a varied bunch with Ocean's Combat School topping the lot. This isn't quite in the same class but its depth makes it a big challenge.

Masters Of The Universe (Gremlin) (Commodore 64/128)

Unimaginative and a bit dull. Gremlin will have to rely on the He-Man name to sell this one.

Knightmare (Activision) (Commodore 64/128)

Knightmare promises to be a big game with more than enough hours of brain-bashing to see you through the cold New Year weeks.

Slaine (Martech) (Commodore 64)

Fails to deliver on any of its boasts. The graphics aren't 'superb' and the action is hardly continuous, unless you count a bunch of words ricocheting about the screen action.

Deflektor (Gremlin) (Commodore 64/128)

More cunning than Rubik's cube, more mentally stressful than a game of chess, and more intellectually demanding than Blind Date.

R.I.S.K. (The Edge) (Commodore 64)

It's well presented and a sufficiently tough challenge but the scenery, the gameplay and the objectives are remarkably like too many sideways scrolling shoot-'em-ups already destined for the Oxfam shop.

Hunter's Moon (Thalamus) (Commodore 64/128)

A well presented and highly polished piece of software.

Gee Bee Air Rally (Activision) (Amiga 500)

The graphics aren't the best on the Amiga, nor is the sound but the addictiveness and enjoyment that comes out of this game puts it in my Amiga top ten.

Xenon (Melbourne House) (Amiga 500)

One of the best shoot-'em-ups to appear yet on the Amiga.

Backlash (Novagen Software Ltd) (Amiga 500)

Get yourself a decent joystick, and start scattering metal all over the sky!

Black Shadow (CRL) (Amiga 500)

If it was slightly faster and had a bouncy soundtrack to blast with, this would almost certainly have been a Screen Star. Unfortunately it hasn't, so it ain't.

Indoor Sports (Databyte) (Amiga 500)

All the four games are nicely presented and the graphics are pleasing, but I have my doubts about the playability of the ping pong and to a lesser extent, the tenpin bowling implementations.

Deluxe Paint (Electronic Arts) (Amiga 500)

One of those programs that you can't stop using once you've got the hang of it. It's better than anything I've ever seen on the ST or the Mac.

Powerplay (Arcana) (Amiga 500)

So long as your appetite for trivia hasn't been entirely jaded by now, Powerplay is well worth checking out for its freshness of approach.

Shadowgate (Mindscape International Inc) (Amiga 500)

A pretty good game.

Sub Battle Sim (US Gold) (Commodore 64)

A very absorbing and comprehensive simulation with atmospheric sound effects and pretty good visuals.

I, Ball II (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

A really great game, and at a price which leaves you change for a penny sweet.

Rainbow Dragon (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

One of the best budget games I have played. It requires a lot of planning and a dash of luck when it comes to discovering hidden messages and illusions.

Mask Two (Gremlin) (Commodore 64/128)

It really looks as if MASK's marketing managers couldn't care less about the quality of their product. Once a large number of people shell out their hard-earned, they'll be laughing. In this case, it's the under-tens who are going to be suckers.

Fruit Machine Simulator (Codemasters) (Commodore 64/128)

Nice scrolling reels, and some decent little tunes in there too. But without money coming out of it, it's still rubbish.

Psycho Soldier (Imagine) (Commodore 64/128)

A worthy but unexceptional platformer, based on a forgettable coin-op game.

Morpheus (Rainbird) (Commodore 64/128)

Morpheus will certainly enthral those who get hooked for many months to come.

Sidewalk (Infogrames) (Commodore 64)

It's a particularly warped sense of priority which tempts us to spend 10 quid on a game so that 1.5% of the price can be sent to starving Africans. You'll feel a hell of a lot better if you forget Sidewalk and send a tenner to Band Aid instead.

Andy Capp (Mirrorsoft) (Commodore 64/128)

Despite all the fancy trimmings - near-perfect graphics and animation, the Hovis brass band music - what Mirrorsoft is serving up here is yet another tired explore-and-collect game.

Deja Vu (Mindscape International Inc) (Commodore 64/128)

For something different, Deja Vu is worth trying, and in any event, makes a worthwhile adventure.

Venom (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64/128)

At one end of the spectrum we have Deja Vu. And at the other there's Venom which cannot even be described as a poor man's budget alternative.

Football Frenzy (Alternative) (Commodore 64/128)

Some locations have graphics but many pictures are clones. I can't say that I was particularly motivated to hang about and wait for something to happen, for nothing about the game particularly grabbed me.

Micromud (Virgin Games) (Commodore 64)