Army Moves (Ocean)

I had little fun playing Army Moves - it's very boring, plain and a great disappointment.

Barbarian (Palace)

One of Barbarian's most pleasing elements is the sense of achievement as an opponent is defeated. Mastering it will take some time, but it's well worth it.

Bismarck (PSS)

There's a lot packed into Bismarck, and this may be a game which younger and inexperienced wargamers will enjoy.

Book Of The Dead (The Essential Myth)

The theme, presentation and plot are all of a very high standard, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bubbler (Ultimate)

The control method is a horrible rotate left or right job, and because of this it takes a while to get used to the game's workings - however, I'd recommend this as it's a slick piece of playable programming.

Chronos (Mastertronic)

The aliens never run out, but neither does your fire power.

Cosmic Shock Absorber (Martech)

A pitifully basic shoot-'em-up with a few add-ons. The keyboard response is appalling, making play near impossible.

Dogfight 2187 (Starlight)

I enjoyed the first go, but that was just while I flew around and shot things to get a feel of the game. When you start looking for bits of the generator, though, it starts to get a bit more boring.

Don't Panic - Panic Now (Dented Designs)

Possesses oodles of character plus a good use of colour to enliven the text. Oh, and lines that are so ridiculous they tickle the chuckletums.

Jackle And Wide (Bulldog)

Despite the strong story line, Jackie And Wide involves little more than trudging around and getting very bored.

Enterprise (Melbourne House)

If you want a game that doesn't just rely on killing off the universe, Enterprise is worth considering... but it's not the type that I'd really go for.

Express Raider (US Gold)

I've never been so bored, Express Raider just goes on and on and... The gameplay is repetitive and the 'feel' is very inaccurate.

The Final Matrix (Gremlin)

A very original and versatile game.

Livingstone, I Presume (Alligata)

This game has so much content and it's sheer fun.. The equipment that you carry and the foreigners that you meet create the perfect atmosphere - I especially liked the piranhas that jump out of the river.

Mario Bros. (Ocean)

Terribly boring... This isn't a patch on the arcade version. Playability is poor, and further limited by terrible collision detection.

Mr. Weems And The She Vampires (Piranha)

I found Mr. Weems to be a most enjoyable game. Along with most "Gauntlet-esque" games, the graphics can get messy, and confusing when there's a lot happening on screen.

Octagon (Budgie)

The scenario didn't quite sink in for a while, and the gameplay didn't appeal to me at all; I didn't like the technique of pressing the initial letter of the action required.

Operation Stallion (Wrightchoice)

There are one or two spelling mistakes (many centred around 'ie' order in words) but overall, a fine game.

Parabola (Firebird)

Though the basic idea of Parabola is old, it's a most enjoyable product. The graphics are very detailed and the perspective is believable.

The Pawn (Rainbird)

This text-only Spectrum game is still a fascinating trip into the imagination where all avid adventurers, fresh-faced or wizened, long to dwell.

Red Scorpion (Quicksilva)

The graphics are as well defined as most vector graphics, but the icons leave something to be desired in the way of clarity.

Saboteur II (Durell)

You might get a little bored with the same aspects of play, but although Saboteur II is slightly expensive, it's well worth having as a follow up.

Shadows Of Mordor (Melbourne House)

The test of any game is how easily it entertains and I've got to say I really enjoyed reviewing this Melbourne House classic.

Shipwreck/Castle Eerie (Tartan)

Programs for both amateur and wizened adventurers alike. I particularly liked Castle Eerie, whose problems are especially fun to solve.

Spy Vs. Spy: The Island Caper (Databyte)

Nearly everyone liked the first Spy Vs. Spy, but I think this follow-up will be a disappointment to the faithful. The graphics are poor: colour is overused, the scrolling is bad, and while the black spy is appealing, his counterpart is very poorly defined.

Star Runner (Codemasters)

As with all Codemasters games, Star Runner contains some very slick presentation - but the content is very thin.

Strike! (Mastertronic Added Dimension)

A program for dedicated Ten-Pin fans only.

Super Robin Hood (Codemasters)

There are plenty of better games around for the same price - choose one of them and you'll probably have more fun.

Tubaruba (Firebird)

If Firebird think that this is the sort of game that Spectrum owners want then they're still living in 1984... it's absolutely appalling.

Zulu Wars (Cases)

It's playable enough, but has little depth and nowhere to go. The higher levels offer no extra complications, just more and more swarming Zulus to outlive.

Hydrofool (FTL)

With the large number of screens, Hydrofool should hold its appeal for quite some time.

Ghost Hunters (Codemasters)

The appeal of this may be short-lived, as Ghost Hunters isn't that big a game and completion should be easy.

Indoor Sports (Advance)

I wouldn't recommend this. The badly defined graphics are marred further by the garish use of colour.

Gunrunner (Hewson)

Not compelling or playable enough to earn my recommendation.

The Golden Mask (Compass)

Looks good and plays well and you can't ask for more than that.

Inheritance (Infogrames)

A typically good-looking Infogrames game... No-one can doubt the superb graphics and the clever ideas that are their hallmark.

Howard The Duck (Activision)

A pleasing game.