Andy Capp (Mirrorsoft)

Mirrorsoft's version of the famous cartoon character is extremely accurate (I'm a keen Daily Mirror fan) and it works well. There isn't much to do but for the first half hour or so it's quite entertaining.

Blitzkrieg (Cases)

Fun to play... Its straightforward operation won't bewilder someone unused to wargames, yet its possibilities are complex enough to challenge experienced strategists.

Blockbusters (TV Games)

There's a nice front end and a cute little picture of Bob wobbling his head when he asks a question, but the game is boring and repetitive.

Bravestarr (Go!)

You'd certainly have to be brave to walk into a shop and buy this game. The graphics are so small and jerky that they hurt your eyes.

California Games (US Gold)

A total waste of time. The graphics are dismal, the colour is pathetic and you have to load and reload all the events...! The screen is so cluttered with stray attribute problems that it often looks as though the game has crashed!

Clever And Smart (Magic Bytes)

This is a weird game. It takes a while to work out what's going on and I'm not sure the effort is worth it.

Combat Zone (Alternative)

Yet more vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-ups... this one has cramped graphics, small, jerky, colourless and hard to distinguish from the ground.

Compendium (Gremlin)

Board games are for boards, and computer games for computers. To make it worse, all the subgames in Compendium are very boring and repetitive.

Dan Dare II (Virgin)

A really neat follow up to a classic game.

Enllightenment: Druid II (Firebird)

Though Enlightenment: Druid II is well above average it doesn't match the original.

Dynatron Mission (Mastertronic)

Dynatron Mission is brill, so get mapping it. It's full of hidden extras, such as the spaceman's heartbeat, and the animated sequence at the start.

Eye (Endurance Games)

Beautifully packaged, but is very overpriced for what It offers. The gameplay isn't much fun, and after a couple of sessions I grew increasingly bored.

Firetrap (Electric Dreams)

Everything about Firetrap is slick, and to cap it all the gameplay is very addictive.

Flying Shark (Firebird)

A superbly playable and terribly addictive game.

Galactic Games (Activision)

A mixture of good clean fun and frustration, without the ultra-competitiveness of so many games today.

Gary Lineker's Superstar Soccer (Gremlin)

Managing a football team and guiding it to the top of the league does have its appeal, but I prefer to control the action on the field rather than off it.

Gauntlet II (US Gold)

Follows the same lines as its predecessor, but has some original qualities too - such as the useful option to bring in a second fighter when you need one.

Gryzor (Ocean)

Gryzor is poor, bad value, and as game I don't like it at all.

Inside Outing (The Edge)

Inside Outing is quite playable and it's easy to make all the necessary moves. But it's all been done before much better.

IK+ (System 3)

This is the martial-arts game to go for. You've got to keep an eye on two opponents, and the bonus screen requires skilled hand-eye coordination.

Knight Orc (Rainbird)

A highly complex fantasy adventure, full of murder, mystery and suspense - and the odd piece of wit!

Knightmare (Activision)

Visually Knightmare is very attractive, with the individuals detailed and accurately drawn - and the oracles have a very commanding appearance.

Masters Of The Universe (Gremlin)

It's playable enough, and the variety of sub-games provide extra interest.

Out Of This World (Reaktor)

Out Of This World is very simple, and certainly not effective.

Out Run (US Gold)

US Gold have made the best job they could, but it just isn't enough - OutRun is a full-price, full-scale letdown.

Pro Golf II (Atlantis)

Atlantis set themselves a hard test trying to turn golf to the computer and they failed, miserably.

Psycho Soldier (Imagine)

A worthwhile follow-up to a brilliant game.

Rampage (Activision)

I thoroughly enjoyed playing Rampage. With an extra player or two it becomes even more fun-smashing.

Salamander (Konami)

It's incredibly frustrating having to go all the way back to the beginning of a level when you die, and some players might find this a little too much.

Scruples (Virgin Games)

I doubt very much whether any players of the Scruples board game will find much fun in the computer version - I know I didn't.

Sorcerer Lord (PSS)

Some people will find a lot to enjoy in Sorcerer Lord, and it's encouraging to see this sort of fantasy war game released.

Street Hassle (Melbourne House)

The main element is humour, with plenty of laughs as the hero battles a series of whacky characters with his arsenal of even whackier moves!

Super Hang-On (Electric Dreams)

If you've been looking forward to Super Hang-On you won't be disappointed. The levels of difficulty are just right.

Super Stuntman (Codemasters)

Nothing here is particularly well done - the graphics are very simply animated, the effects sound more like something out of a Geiger counter than a computer game and the collision detection just has to be seen (or not seen should I say) to be believed.

Terramex (Quicksilva)

A contorted mind won't go amiss in playing Terramex, so be prepared for some hard working-out.

Tour De Force (Gremlin)

It's good to see Gremlin Graphics diversifying from the usual genres with this delightfully playable game.

Winter Olympiad '88 (Tynesoft)

The Winter Olympics theme has great potential, but it's wasted on such a mediocre (perhaps rushed) product.