Starquake (Bubble Bus)

We love it, and if Ultimate hadn't done most of it yonks ago we'd have given it a Classic. Buy and enjoy.

Potty Professor (Software Farm)

Well worth buying for its originality and sheer good humour.

Rupert And The Toymaker's Party (Quicksilva)

A disappointment. I used to be an avid Rupert fan and his appearance in this game is not how I remember him.

Daley Thompson's Super Test (Ocean)

The graphics are large, clear and colourful. Great care has been taken to create an environment allowing you to enjoy watching and playing.

Elite (Firebird)

You are unlikely to find another space game of Elite's calibre this year.

Maze Craze (Partyline)

A good, unpretentious game, with plenty of extra lives to enable you to play for some time, and lots of challenge.

Rockford's Riot (Monolith/First Star)

As in Boulder Dash, movement is smooth, although scrolling is jerky and the graphics are basic.

The Evil Crown (Argus Press)

Really ought to be a good, witty game with lots of detail. Instead it's dull, constricted and ultimately worthless.

Chimera (Firebird)

Those who enjoy these maze-quest arcade-adventures should not hesitate to fork out the pennies for an excellent addition to the genre.

Magic (Macmillan)

If you are interested in the practical side of magic you will enjoy this offering.

Fighting Warrior (Melbourne House)

Fighting Warrior is karate for kicks and should appeal to a younger, or possibly less nifty set of fingers than Fist requires.

10 Pack Volume 2 (Automata)

A pretty mixed selection to cater for all tastes.

Their Finest Hour: The Battle Of Britain (Lucasfilm/US Gold)

A strategy simulation which uses the same icon techniques as The Fourth Protocol.

Astro-Clone (Hewson)

The 3D graphics are handled well and the icon-driven control panel reacts in a similar way to the spells of Dragontorc.

Bounty Bob Strikes Back (US Gold)

Not another levels and ladders game! But, if that's what you're into, you'll enjoy Bounty Bob at least as much as Jet Set Willy.

Chinese Patience (Atlantis)

You can choose to play in single games, but it is more fun if you play in matches; the computer keeps the scores, announcing the winner with great zeal.

Macadam Bumper (PSS)

As a pinball wizard in my youth the PSS game had much to prove to me. I was not, however, disappointed.

Super Brat (Atlantis)

The score board, although small, scrolls well and the scoring is quite realistic.

Bridge Player (CP Software)

A sophisticated version of the game, and not recommended for those who have never played at all.

QL Reversi (Sinclair Research)

The ideal present for a bored QL owner this Christmas.

QL Meteor Storm (Sinclair Research)

Meteors out in space, and, when you hit one of them, it splits into two or three or even four bits. It really is so exciting people will easily fork out their life savings to play it. Definitely.

Spectrum Plus Logo (Interface)

A winner...! Ideal for schools and colleges where it could be used as a general text on Logo and a source for an implementation of the language which students could type into their home machines.

Useful Home Computing (Century)

The checklists at the end of each chapter will help you remember what was covered in the proceeding text but if you expect the book to be as useful as Prigmore's 30 Hour Basic you will be disappointed.

The Robot Book (Windward)

If you like the technical side of computers and robots then The Robot Book will prove entertaining reading.

Madcap Manor (Gilsoft)

An entertaining and well-constructed variation on the detective theme.

The Patch (Gilsoft)

Use The Quill, then The Illustrator... Then follow The Patch's instructions to load all the data and you'll find that you have your split-screens, sound effects or whatever in action in a complete adventure.

London Adventure (Fridaysoft)

Using 'through' as a verb instead of 'enter' when you've already allowed it at other points isn't really a puzzle - it simply becomes aggravating and that tends to mean most people will stop playing.

The Pay-Off (Bignose)

The presentation and speed are reminiscent of the ZX81 and very early Spectrum games. This isn't on any more.