Supremacy (Melbourne House)

A wonderful game... The momentum is ideal: it starts off slowly, but once you begin to colonise new planets the action speeds up as more and more people make demands on your resources and the enemy gets ever closer.

Lost Patrol (Ocean)

Unlike Platoon, Lost Patrol approaches the subject with a certain amount of tact and provides an insight into the fear that must have been felt during the Vietnam War.

Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge (Gremlin)

While it might not be the most imaginative or original game ever, it's still well-written, beautifully presented and compelling to the very finish.

Puzznic (Ocean)

Get hold of Puzznic and Puzznic gets hold of you. And it won't let go for a long time to come.

ATF II (Digital Integration)

Basically, it's an airborne version of OutRun, with a similar lack of gameplay. Though it's enjoyable for the first few games, interest in it soon wanes.

Ultimate Ride (Mindscape International Inc)

Makes for a good simulation, but a pretty average racing game.

Nine Lives (Arc)

Beginners will give up on it very quickly, but if you're a veteran platform player with an insatiable appetite for a challenge then this is as tough as it gets - just be ready to cancel all engagements for the next four weeks.

Brain Blasters (Ubisoft)

Playing against the computer, it's good. Playing against another human, it's brilliant.

Speedball II (Image Works)

Wicked. Speedball 2 oozes quality from every screen.

Golden Axe (Virgin Games)

A fluid beat-'em-up and one of the most playable games of this genre to emerge since Strider.

Toyota Celica GT Rally (Gremlin)

A deeply atmospheric game. While it's not superfast, the feel is excellent, and you can't help holding on for dear life as you thunder round the track.

The Curse Of Ra (Rainbow Arts)

Puzzle fans will thoroughly enjoy The Curse Of Ra. Attention to detail is excellent and there are no niggling faults to interrupt gameplay.

Car-Vup (Core)

Cute, eminently playable and outstandingly absorbing.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Elite)

While Gremlins 2 won't win any prizes for originality, children will love the theme and it won't get completed in two days.

Badlands (Domark)

A few more tracks would be nice, and the difficulty level does whizz up a bit disproportionately when you get into it, but I'm a bit partial to Scalextric with knobs on and this'll do me fine.

Alpha Waves (Infogrames)

A rather excellent 3D arcade/exploration game with puzzles requiring both physical and mental dexterity.

Murders In Space (Infogrames)

The screen layout is pleasing to the eyes and instinctive to use... Playing the game is a pleasure.

Narco Police (Dinamic)

Almost unbearable to play... And the graphics make the game look very jerky too.

Chip's Challenge (U. S. Gold)

A fantastic, fun-for-all-the-family game which no serious puzzle addict can afford to miss.

Pang (Ocean)

Novel, simple to understand, and harmfully addictive.

Chess Simulator (Infogrames)

An easy-to-use program, solid, fast and powerful. The ability to match up to Colossus proves its strength.

The Final Battle (PSS)

The fate of the Kingdom of Anar is in your hands. Whether you can be bothered with saving it depends on your frustration threshold.

Corporation (Core)

More playable than Infestation, with more to offer in the way of interesting enemies, objects and happenings, Corporation is a winner. Miss it if you enjoy a boring life!

Chase H.Q. 2: Special Criminal Investigation (Ocean)

The difficulty level in SCI is pitched just right. There are, however, no major improvements over Chase HQ. Sure, you can shoot now, but it makes very little difference to the gameplay.

Street Hockey (Gonzo Games)

The display is a formidable achievement, and the player-selection control is extremely versatile, but that's the game's flaw - there is simply too much to do and too little time to do it in.

USS John Young (Magic Bytes)

Magic Bytes obviously hope to market USS John Young to the vast market of simulations players - but the only naval in question is the one on your belly and you'd probably have more fun contemplating that for a while.

Nitro (Psygnosis)

This is an old 8-bit concept with no original or exciting 16-bit elements. It's simple, and if you want something that exploits the full potential of your ST, however, then this sadly just doesn't deliver.

Omnicron Conspiracy (Image Works)

Buried beneath the poorly implemented exterior, there could well be a very respectable game waiting to get out. It's sad then that only the most patient and determined players are likely to find it.

Vector Championship Run (Impulze)

Steering the car takes a lot of getting used to, and it's nigh on impossible to wreck your car - but all that apart, it's a great game and the graphics aren't bad at all.

Shadow Warriors (Ocean)

The problem with this is that it's too slow. What's more, there are far too many baddies on screen at once, making progression through the game a real problem.

Helter Skelter (Audiogenic)

A very jolly game. It's quite difficult, but certain masochists thrive on that sort of thing.

MiG 29: Soviet Fighter (Codemasters)

Gameplay, however, is a case of waggling your joystick about hopefully while repeatedly pressing the Fire button. It's impossible to shoot anything deliberately. Avoid.

Defender 2 (Arc)

Fun, fast and completely frantic. This one's taking up residence in my disk drive permanently.

Conflict (Mastertronic)

Boring. If you're terribly into strategic games which have very little in the way of action, then it might appeal to you. Then again, snail breeding appeals to some people.

The Infocom Range

Infocom adventures are all text-based, relying on atmospheric scene setting rather than posy graphics.