The Sentinel (Firebird) (Spectrum 48K)

One of the best and most original games that I've seen this year.

Doc The Destroyer (Melbourne House) (Commodore 64/128)

Melbourne House has been struggling to produce a top-notch game for some time now. With Doc The Destroyer, I think they've got it.

Shadows Of Mordor (Melbourne House) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

A much better game than its predecessor and much better value for money, but there is still room for improvement.

Colonial Conquest (US Gold/SSI) (Commodore 64)

A superb strategy game and a must for all budding imperialists.

Nemesis (Konami) (Commodore 64)

Highly playable and extremely addictive... Good clear graphics, smooth scrolling, slick joystick response and excellent music which sounds just like the arcade version.

Scott Adams Scoops (US Gold) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3)

None of these adventures would sell very well on their own nowadays but four on one tape is reasonably good value.

Battlefield Germany (PSS) (Spectrum 48K)

The game has the same plot as Theatre Europe in as much as the game involves the Warsaw Pact countries attacking Europe from the East German border. Where this game differs is in the detail it features.

Ace Of Aces (US Gold) (Spectrum 48K)

I feel that US Gold has tried to be too authentic here... to reach the throttles and rudder trim controls, you have to change view to right or left! Very distracting in the middle of a dogfight I can tell you.

Mercenary (Novagen) (Amstrad CPC464)

Full marks to Novagen for a difficult conversion of an excellent game. Its graphics are really excellent.

Indoor Sports (Advance) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

The attention to detail is incredible - pens and chalk keep the score in the darts and ten pin-bowling and there is even a reflection of the ball on the ping pong table!

Gunrunner (Hewson) (Spectrum 48K)

Gunrunner has the typical slick Hewson look. It looks very good and handles well, but it just doesn't have that elusive addictiveness about it that can transform a very good game into an excellent one.

Koronis Rift (Activision) (Spectrum 48K)

A mixture of arcade shoot-'em-up and exploration with a helping of strategy.

Krakout (Gremlin) (Spectrum 48K)

A fascinating game that you will come back to time and time again.

Shockway Rider (Faster Than Light) (Commodore 64/128)

The presentation is excellent, particularly the full-screen animation. But the game didn't thrill me though, for some X-Factor reason.

The Ket Trilogy (Incentive) (Commodore 64)

These games are well worth investigating if you haven't seen them before; especially recommended for the novice adventurer.

Big Trouble In Little China (Electric Dreams) (Commodore 64/128)

A better than average beat-'em-up and will no doubt appeal to fans of this type of game, but there is nothing in the game to make you sit up and take notice.

Ranarama (Hewson) (Amstrad CPC464)

This Amstrad game is excellent. The graphics are sharp and distinct, and the animation smooth and faultless.

Mutants (Ocean) (Commodore 64/128)

An intelligent shoot-'em-up. Some strategic thinking is needed too... I felt I was getting better at the game as I gained experience.

Vulcan: The Tunisian Campaign (Cases) (Amstrad CPC464)

An excellent game and an example to all programmers of strategy games as to how a game like this should be presented.

Scalextric (Virgin/Leisure Genius) (Amstrad CPC464)

The program is actually well written and looks good too. But it's ridiculously difficult to overtake as the track is not very wide... Whoever starts first wins the race!

Throne Of Fire (Melbourne House) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

There are some interesting ideas in Throne Of Fire, but they don't gel particularly well. On-screen action is confusing and the game itself, quite frankly, is tedious.

Who Dares Wins II (Alligata) (Commodore 16/Plus 4)

The game is tediously slow but you get used to it and keep coming back and the sound FX are quite good.

Delta (Thalamus) (Commodore 64/128)

Delta looks and feels like a coin-op, and it would not look out of place in an arcade, but it is unplayable as a game. I don't want to play a game where one minor error (slowly) finishes you off.

Enduro Racer (Activision) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

The most important things on the course are the ramps or jumps. You must hit these in a wheelie or you'll lose speed badly.

Bismarck (PSS) (Spectrum 48K)

Highly recommended. The combination of strategy and action works very well and the result is a challenging and entertaining game.

Stifflip & Co. (Palace) (Commodore 64)

Bounders abound, morals are upheld at all costs and the arcade element adds punch to another spiffing game from Palace.

Winter Events (Anco) (Commodore 16/Plus 4)

Great graphics. Several good tunes. Great game. You can't fault it!

Phantom (Tynesoft) (Commodore 16/Plus 4)

An excellent game which is great all round.

Trailblazer (Gremlin) (Commodore 16)

The game is one of the best around and shows the world that the C16 can be as good as the Speccy and Amstrad if the right person is programming it.

Monty On The Run (Gremlin) (Commodore 16/Plus 4)

This C16 version doesn't have the amazing music that the C64 had. But, even as it stands, this is an excellent game.

Bridge Head (Anco) (Commodore 16)

A very good game. Watch out for the mines, which can only be taken out with grenades.

Mad Nurse (Firebird) (Spectrum 48K/Plus)

The graphics are very good and clear, and the interlude graphics are very good as well.

Pneumatic Hammers (Firebird) (Commodore 64/128)

A game with a lot going for it. Good graphics, an original plot and smooth scrolling... But it can be quite frustrating because of the pixel perfect movement of the icons.

Colony (Bulldog) (Spectrum 48K)

An original game with a good mix of action and strategy.

Rasterscan (Mastertronic) (Amstrad CPC464/664/6128)

The graphics are up to scratch, as are the sound effects and music.

Rasterscan (Mastertronic) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2)

Nothing to recommend here... Control a repair robot called MSB which steadfastly refuses to go where you want it to.

Think! (Firebird) (Amstrad CPC464/664/6128)

A well thought out variation on an old game.

Vampire (Codemasters) (Commodore 64/128)

A real challenge this game, but I doubt anyone will be good enough - or bothered enough - to play it through.

Chronos (Mastertronic) (Amstrad CPC464)

Not a bad game... a sight for sore eyes as far as zap-'em Amstrads are concerned.

Lazerwheel (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64/128)

Gameplay is fairly addictive, but the game scores more points for originality and simplicity of concept.

Armourdillo (Codemasters) (Commodore 64/128)

Frame one is fine, lots of sinister, lasciviously winking eyes in the background - but what reward do you reap for getting to frame two? A bunch of Mobantian slag-heaps is what. I made my excuses and left.

Tubaruba (Firebird) (Spectrum 48K)

Only point of note here is that you can hitch a frantic ride through the game on a Sinclair C5... Besides this, the game has little new to offer.

Super Robin Hood (Codemasters) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

A good game. The impressive animation is similar in style to Ghost Hunters. However, given the choice, I'd opt for the former as I prefer spook smashing.

Proof Of Destruction (Mastertronic) (Commodore 64/128)

There's no real strategy in this Centipede-knockoff, but the odd thing is I actually found the game rather addictive.

Ghost Hunters (Codemasters) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

It's another platform game, but it's original and atmospheric enough to capture the imagination.

Cyborg (CRL) (Commodore 64/128)

Not an easy game to master... It will cost you several Cyborgs before you're through the first level, so it's just as well you can load and save your current game position.

Ball Breaker (CRL) (Amstrad CPC464)

The gameplay is very challenging, although, when you get a new ball, it is shot at you from such close range you can't get to it in time.

Sequels (Spectrum 48K/128K)

Trivial Pursuit: Baby Boomer Edition (Domark) (Amstrad CPC464)

Fascinating, and a lot cheaper than the cards for the board game.

Bombjack II (Elite) (Spectrum 48K)

This is an addictive game but it's poles away from the original classic. It is good, but not as good as the original.

Star Raiders II (Electric Dreams) (Commodore 64/128)

It's good to see that there's still life in an old classic although the graphics are looking a little dated.