Ghostbusters II (Activision) (Atari ST)

A great licence which puts the movie's action sequences to very good use in three varied and playable levels.

Double Dragon II (Domark) (Atari ST)

An accurate conversion of the popular arcade combat game which beat-'em-up fans should relish.

Turbo Outrun (U. S. Gold) (Commodore 64/128)

I would never have believed that it was possible to produce such an accurate conversion of Turbo Outrun on the C64 - it's practically a scaled down version of the coin-op. But here it is, and it's incredible.

Chambers Of Shao Lin (Cinemaware) (Atari ST)

Doesn't have the instant playability of IK+, but the quest and character creation elements give Chambers Of Shao Lin plenty of lasting appeal.

Tintin On The Moon (Infogrames) (Atari ST)

An admirable computer rendition of the ageless cartoon character's exploits, but the lack of difficulty makes this more suited to younger players or computer game novices.

Action Fighter (Firebird) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

Addictive for a while... The transformation of game styles adds variety but it doesn't really hold your interest for very long.

Rock 'N Roll (Electronic Arts) (Amiga 500)

Rainbow Arts' most impressive release for a long time. Great graphics, superb sound, infuriatingly addictive gameplay and the urge to "just finish that level" all come together perfectly in one neat package.

Omnicron Conspiracy (First Star) (PC (MS-DOS))

A conspiracy on a universal scale means a lot of hard detective work for a Star Cop (as well as a few lucky breaks) but the feeling of accomplishment with each new lead is immense.

Interphase (Image Works) (Amiga 500)

A wonderfully-executed blend of strategy and arcade action.

Day Of The Pharaoh (Rainbow Arts) (Amiga 500)

A very average attempt at a Cinemaware-style game, mostly relying on a rather poor buy/sell strategy. The arcade sequences are also very unexciting.

Ghouls 'N Ghosts (U. S. Gold) (Spectrum 48K)

An accurate conversion of the hit coin-op that's tough, but very addictive. Getting your armour rusty has never been so much fun!

Coin-Op Hits (U. S. Gold) (Amstrad CPC464)

Thunderblade and Bionic Commando are both superb.

Thalamus: The Hits (Thalamus) (Commodore 64/128)

An absolute must for every C64 owner.

Star Wars Trilogy (Domark) (Amstrad CPC464)

The first two vector graphic Star Wars games are nicely executed, and contain all the features of the original; the third one is a bit of a disappointment.

The Tolkien Trilogy (Beau Jolly) (Amstrad CPC464)

A brilliant package for adventure fans, and is highly recommended.

Light Force (Ocean) (Amiga 500)

A selection of quite good games... Put it on your Christmas list.

Dark Force (Ocean) (Amstrad/Spectrum)

A great compilation, let down only by the slow and rather cumbersome Dark Side. There's hours and hours of play in this one.

Giants (U. S. Gold) (Amiga 500)

Street Fighter is truly dire, the worst fighting game ever on the Amiga. Only Gauntlet II offers more than a couple of hours entertainment.

Winners (U. S. Gold) (Amstrad CPC464)

A decent compilation that offers hours of play.

The Story So Far I (Elite) (Amiga 500)

The Story So Far II (Elite) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

Nothing wildly exciting on offer... The games might offer a couple of hours entertainment, but you won't come back to them afterwards.

The Story So Far III (Elite) (Amiga 500)

Space Harrier is good, Live And Let Die is alright for a while, but Thundercats and Bombjack offer only limited entertainment.

The Story So Far IV (Elite) (Amstrad CPC464)

The Eidolon and Aliens are great, both combining atmosphere and playability superbly. The rest of the games aren't very addictive and won't keep you occupied for more than a few hours.

Thrilltime Gold (Elite) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3)

If you like all the games - and Bombjack, Turbo Esprit and Ghosts 'N Goblins are particularly good - it might be worth buying this. Otherwise buy your favourites separately.

Thrilltime Gold II (Elite) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3)

All the titles on this compilation are already available on budget - most of them for two pounds. Buy the ones you want separately and save cash.

Thrilltime Platinum (Elite) (Amstrad CPC464)

Buggy Boy, Beyond The Ice Palace and Dragon's Lair are great, but Gladiator is downright awful.

Thrilltime Platinum II (Elite) (Atari ST)

A bargain pack featuring a wide variety of games and plenty of entertainment.

Christmas Collection (Hewson Consultants) (Amstrad CPC464)

Literally weeks and weeks of fun to be had with this one.

100% Dynamite (Ocean) (Commodore 64)

Double Dragon isn't a lot of fun, Afterburner is alright, but gets repetitive and the other two games are very good. Check out other compilations before making a buying decision.

Epyx Action (Epyx) (Amstrad CPC464)

The two rotten apples are 4x4 and Street Sports - the rest are great fun. Not an essential purchase by any means, but there's plenty of fun on offer.

Premiere Collection II (Hewson Consultants) (Atari ST)

A reasonable package. Mercenary and Eliminator are both great, but the other two games let the package down.

Mutant Fortress (Players Premier) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

Dodgy graphics and unremarkable gameplay make this a very average game.

Hypersports (The Hit Squad) (Commodore 64/128)

Some of the events are looking a little dated now, but the enjoyment is still there.

Paperboy (Encore) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2)

Paperboy on the C64 wasn't the best conversion in the world first time around and, unlike a good Xmas pud, it hasn't improved with age.

Rampage (The Hit Squad) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3)

The three-player option has been thankfully retained, and the monochrome graphics capture the spirit of the original.

Short Circuit (The Hit Squad) (Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3)

Number Five is recognisable from the movie, but the game itself makes little attempt to stick to the plot. The music is jolly, though.

Soldier Of Light (RAD) (Spectrum 48K)

No more than average aesthetically, it's best to think of Soldier Of Light as one of the better budget games around, as opposed to one of the feebler coin-op conversions.

Damocles (Novagen Software Ltd) (Amiga 500)

Damocles is an experience to behold... and one not to be missed. There are dozens of "neat bits" to discover along the way and plenty of Benson's dry quips to bring a smile to even the most jaded adventurer's face.

Ninja Warriors (Virgin Games) (Amiga 500)

Ninja Warriors has transferred from coin-op to computer extraordinarily well. Play is tough, but it's a conversion that hack-'n-slash arcade fans will relish.

Xenophobe (Microstyle) (Spectrum 48K/128K)

The graphics and sound are fine. But the gameplay is just too bland to make this anything other than average.

Switchblade (Gremlin Graphics) (Amiga 500)

A smashing platform game which combines unbelievably addictive gameplay with great graphics and sound.

Hard Drivin' (Domark) (Atari ST)

A stunning conversion that contains all the features of the arcade game and plays brilliantly.

Axel's Magic Hammer (Gremlin Graphics) (Atari ST)

Alex Kidd on the ST? Not quite, but an impressive game-of-the-genre, which gives ST owners the chance to play console owners at their own game.

Scapeghost (Level 9 Computing) (BBC B/B+/Master 128)

Level 9's final adventure is their most enjoyable of all time.

Cloud Master (Sega) (Sega Master System (EU Version))

A frustrating, but nevertheless enjoyable shoot-'em-up which features the weirdest characters you'll ever pump full of laser.

Tennis Ace (Sega) (Sega Master System (EU Version))

Lots of options and decent gameplay make this the best tennis game on the Sega. Check it out if you're a fan of the sport.

Bloody Wolf (Data East) (PC Engine (EU Version)/TurboGrafix-16 (US Version))

Poor graphics and sound belie a challenging and highly addictive combat game which keeps you engrossed for hours at a time.

Toobin' (Domark) (Spectrum 48K)

Whether or not you were a fan of the coin-op, this conversion is definitely worth checking out.