Firefly (Ocean) (Commodore 64)

A very polished package. It proves that Hysteria was no one-off.

Gryzor (Ocean) (Commodore 64/128)

The graphics and sound could certainly have been better, but I must own up to deriving some perverse gratification from playing it, so if you're a masochist this is right up your street.

Traz (Cascade) (Commodore 64)

Features a host of clever touches. The endlessly varied screens, the multi-plane bats, and the inclusion of a construction kit - the presence of any one of these features would make this game worth a look for the serious Arka-freak. With all of them, Cascade have done us proud!

4th And Inches (U. S. Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

All the frustrating interruptions of American Football with absolutely none of the thrills, skills and spills. A Long Pass? I think I would if I were you.

I.O. (Firebird) (Commodore 64)

A class piece of programming (if a little too difficult) with great graphics and a hugely enjoyable blast.

Task 3 (Databyte) (Commodore 64)

The sort of challenge that makes up for its lack of originality.

Apollo 18 (Accolade) (Commodore 64/128)

A highly entertaining piece of software which I really liked, not only original but enjoyable too.

Bedlam (Go!) (Commodore 64)

The sound is rather average, the gameplay can hardly be described as original, but it is a reasonable shoot-'em-up. The cute little pinball bonus game makes the package just about worth it.

Black Lamp (Firebird) (Commodore 64)

It's hard to explain exactly what it is I like so much about Black Lamp. Although the storyline is different and good fun the game itself isn't that original. Nevertheless it is a very professionally produced, and has a lot of polish.

Dan Dare 2 (Virgin Games) (Commodore 64/128)

Dan Dare II is a very enjoyable game indeed. It's not another dose of the original, which is a good thing. Instead, it's a more straightforward challenge, but still enjoyable.

Bravestarr (Go!) (Commodore 64)

Despite the fact that it is full of all the old cliches, the Wild West idea freshens it up considerably.

Intrigue (Mirrorsoft) (Commodore 64)

A classic. With its multi-player option, male and female interaction (!) and, apparently, 2,000+ possible solutions, the game kicks the stuffing out of any upstart 'tec adventure within spitting distance.

Side Arms (Go!) (Commodore 64/128)

Pretty abysmal and not even worth the slightest notion of buying it. Avoid this like you would avoid a swarm of rabid African Killer Bees.

The Train (Accolade) (Commodore 64/128)

Fantastically good fun, even if you're not particularly turned on by trains or wartime adventures.

BMX Kidz (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

I did find it entertaining at first, but as the game progressed and I mastered the stunts and wheelies, it became progressively easier with the result that I had nearly finished the whole game in one night.

Mandroid (CRL) (Commodore 64/128)

Mind-numbingly repetitive... You've only got one life - lose that and the whole frustrating unrewarding, process begins all over again.

Strike Fleet (Electronic Arts) (Commodore 64/128)

Where this leaves similar games standing is obviously in the control it gives you over everything. There are now a number of these kinds of games available when the military detail, accuracy and diversity is about as complete as you could hope for.

Ricochet (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

Incomparable with Arkanoid in nearly every way, Ricochet still offers a lot for two squid.

Skyfox II (Electronic Arts) (Commodore 64)

Flawlessly presented and handsomely packaged, Skyfox II suffers from an excess of realism and a lack of fun.

ATV Simulator (Codemasters) (Commodore 64/128)

There's a hi-score table, and some typically jolly Code Masters music, but the game's also got some shoddy animation, insipid graphics and no sound effects worth mentioning.

Thundercross (CRL) (Commodore 64)

It's a good blast, tough enough for the most competent - none of this five lives nonsense, when you cop it, that's your lot.

Code Hunter (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

If you've got the kind of mind that can cope with working out where you've going to end up after hitting two lefts, a right, an up and two downs with a minus somewhere in between, not forgetting you've got two guards breathing down your neck and a bomb to place then you'll get along just fine.

Knight Games 2 (English) (Commodore 64)

Three different games with seven different levels that really don't add up to much.

Ghostbusters (Ricochet) (Commodore 64/128)

The best re-release around... A big licence, great sound and music, and even some of the earliest and best speech ever heard on the C64.

Rollaround (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64/128)

It provides some entertainment for a cheap price. But it's nothing special.

Judge Dredd (Ricochet) (Commodore 64/128)

A reasonable likeness to the original Mega City Man doesn't really stop this being pure drokk.

Microball (Alternative) (Commodore 64/128)

Um, if you like pinball then this is right up your street.

Zybex (Zeppelin Games) (Commodore 64/128)

A horizontally-scrolling shoot-'em-up over sixteen levels at budget price. It's actually a better version of Side Arms than the C64's licensed conversion.

Knuckle Busters (Ricochet) (Commodore 64/128)

A crap game. The plot goes something along the lines of breaking out of a lobotomy laboratory and fighting your way past android guards.

Thunderforce (Rack-It) (Commodore 64/128)

Give this poor-man's Kung-Fu Master a miss.

Energy Warrior (Mastertronic Added Dimension) (Commodore 64/128)

A game of 'tactics and strategy' says the blurb, which makes it sound like Risk. It's not, and the only sensible strategy we can see is not to spend any money on it at all.

Road Wars (Melbourne House) (Amiga 500)

I can't see this taking the computer world by storm. Whilst the general feel of the game is impressive, its lack of variation and fiddly controls lessen its impact.

Ball Raider (King Size) (Amiga 500)

Ball Raider doesn't have anything like the number of extra features which made Impact and Arkanoid such interesting variants on a very old game format. For die-hard BreakOut collectors only.

Time Bandit (Microdeal) (Amiga 500)

An enjoyable and refreshing change from the plethora of shoot-'em-ups that seem to be available at the moment.

Mercenary (Novagen Software Ltd) (Amiga 500)

Will keep you busy for weeks.

Arkanoid (Discovery) (Amiga 500)

Expensive, but as good a version as you could ever expect to have on a home computer. Any criticisms are really only nit-picking.

Terramax (Grandslam) (Amiga 500)

Good fun, though the humour is extremely corny.

Golden Path (Firebird) (Amiga 500)

The prettiest Amiga game yet.

Border Zone (Infocom) (Commodore 64/128)

Certainly doesn't disappoint in its puzzles and the typical Infocom humour is there too,

Federation (Smart Egg/CRL) (Commodore 64/128)

Beneath Folly (The Fiendry) (Commodore 64/128)

An adventure written with The Graphic Adventure Creator with graphics which are hardly Magnetic Scrolls' standard, but which do have meaning, and they contain clues.

Quest For The Golden Eggcup (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64/128)

It is nice to see low-priced quality adventures on cassette, and this one is every bit as good as Smart Egg's first Mastertronic release, Rigel's Revenge. Go and buy it!