1985: The Day After (Mastertronic)

Once going, you have six screens of caverns and landscapes to negotiate - the take off screen, four plasma pick up planets and the tricky fusion core finale... One to get your cosmic L-plates on.

2112 AD (Design Design)

A clever arcade maze adventure with some original touches.

Antteroo + Prelude (Central Solutions)

Antteroo is another platform-and-ladders variant. It's not actually that bad, but it's so-ooo unimaginative. Suffice to say, those who like this sort of thing may find it a reasonable bargain.

Arena (Lothlorien)

When you've got it sussed, this game's great fun.

Automata 10 Packs Volumes 2 & 3 (Automata)

Another volume of the games aimed at the kind of non-violent amusement the company's famed for. Shame they lack the bizarre goodness that made Pimania my favourite adventure.

Battle Of The Planets (Mikro-Gen)

The screen format looks a bit confusing at first but, like the keyboard controls, all becomes familiar after a few games.

Beatle Quest (Number 9)

Steer clear unless you've got Beatles knowledge coming out of your ears.

Blade Runner (CRL)

A game that feels unfinished. A touch more speed and a bit more polish would've improved it no end. As it is, I retired early from this one.

SpecDrum (Cheetah)

Unbelievably cheap and great fun to use. A definite hit.

Cosmic Wartoad (Ocean)

With its iris-ing windows and great graphics the game is as stylish and idiosyncratic as you'd expect from the people who gave you Frankie, and it's pretty difficult.

Death Wake (Quicksilva)

As wargames go, it's not the best in the world... but, on the other hand, it does have enough addictive qualities to grow on you.

Dungeon Dare & Classroom Chaos (Central Solutions)

Bears no relationship to school goodies like Skool Daze and Mikie; it's designed for goody-goodies, toadies and anoraks, which of course no self-respecting Speccy owner would claim to be.

Forbidden Planet (Design Design)

A pace-racing, addictive game - shame it crashed when I was just beginning to clock up a reasonable score!

Graham Gooch's Test Cricket (Audiogenic)

If you're a real fan of leather on willow this one's worth a very cautious look.

Gunfright (Ultimate)

Another Ultimate repeat. If you don't have Nightshade, and you're a fan of shoot-'em-ups set among durn purdy pictures, it'll make you whoop with joy.

Just Imagine (Central Solutions)

A program that has the cheek to suggest that software reviewers can be bribed! (Incidentally lads, my cheque never arrived this month).

Mikie (Imagine)

If you love the mad whirl of a good arcade game and aren't put off by the sloppy theme of this one, then Mikie should set your heart all a flutter.

Movie (Imagine)

This game is as cool as a trench coat and as atmospheric as a misty street. Here's looking at a VDU, sweetheart.

Myla Di'Kaich (Global)

It really is one of the busiest, most open plan collecting games I've seen.

N.O.M.A.D. (Ocean)

Absolutely fab! Once you get past a specific section of the game and lose a life, you start from the beginning of that section - which is a darned good idea and saves a lot of frustration.

Raiders Of The Lost Ring (Arcade Systems)

Each of the screens (or the ones I managed to get to anyway) is set in the jungle and you have to swing through the trees to get your paws on those elusive keys.

Rambo (Ocean)

A thinking man's Commando.

Screenplay (Macmillan)

It's an informative package and if just one person discovers the magic of the movies through it, then it's worth it.

The Snow Queen (St. Brides)

Although The Snow Queen suffers from slowish response, and rather limited vocabulary, it's nicely written with some long location descriptions and enough atmosphere to send a chill up your spine.

Sweevo's World (Gargoyle Games)

The game is ludicrously playable - over four interconnected levels that should take an age to map - and highly enjoyable.

Their Finest Hour (Century Communications)

It may not have 3D graphics, the rattle of machine guns and thunder of ack-ack guns. But it does have the claustrophobia and almost impossible odds of 1940.

The Transformers (Ocean)

Strongly recommended for all remaining Transformer freaks everywhere.

West Bank (Gremlin)

Combines laughs with thrills and quick reactions with brains... Banga-bang-bang!

Wham! The Music Box (Melbourne House)

Besides the organ like twin voices, you get a 'bass drum' and three somewhat programmable sound effects based on white noise.

William Wobbler (Wizard Computer Games)

A conversion that hasn't translated too well.

Winter Games (US Gold)

If you must have yet another excuse for not going out and getting some real exercise, then this is probably the one, mainly due to its graphics and music.

World Cup Soccer (Macmillan)

Ought to keep you happy until the real thing in June.

Yie Ar Kung-Fu (Imagine)

A good introduction to painless punching if you're into Bruce Lee but bruise easily.

Zoids: The Battle Begins (Martech)

Your task is a tough one as the pieces could lie within any of the eight City Networks spread across Red Zoid territory.