Black Lamp (Firebird)

Graphically sound, but the fiddly bits slow things down a little. Fun for the few for the while.

BMX Kidz (Firebird)

A dire BMX racing game that left me feeling as blank as one of Lester Piggot's tax returns. Poor response, poor graphics and poor you if you buy it!

Cage Match (Mastertronic)

This game may have been a good idea, but the programmers have put little thought into the gameplay. The animation is jerky and the characters respond pretty poorly to the game controls.

Championship Sprint (Electric Dreams)

Fans of the original Super Sprint will enjoy this, but if you already have that game, forking out another tenner for what is little more than a glorified track designer, may force you to think twice.

Cybernoid (Hewson)

Totally brilliant...! A new breed of game and every adjective you can think of to sum up sheer excellence.

Gunsmoke (Capcom)

This Capcom coin-op hasn't made too easy a transition to the Speccy. Occasionally you seem to be charged at by a giant cockroach wearing a coy-boy hat!

Energy Warrior (Mastertronic Added Dimension)

Natty graphics but monotonous gameplay. Don't be taken in by that groovy screenshot!

Frightmare (Cascade)

Um, it's just another platform game and even the most original of plots can't make it any more fun to play. It isn't even particularly scary.

Grand Prix Tennis (Mastertronic)

A sub-standard tennis sim with poor collision detection and deeply flawed gameplay design. It adds nothing new to tennis sims, and Match Point still wins game, set and match every time.

The Guild Of Thieves (Rainbird)

Definitely one of the best adventures around for the Spectrum.

Ikari Warriors (Elite)

One hell of a good game... Just the right balance of playability, difficulty and pure mass destruction has been achieved, and, to use an all-time great reviewing cliche, it'll keep you coming back for more.

Impact (Audiogenic)

Impact could have been amazing with a little more effort on the programming side. What we are left with though is an entertaining package that provides a couple of clever variations on the Arkanoid theme, but not much else.

The Krypton Factor (TV Games)

Not an obvious computer tie-in, and in the end a none too successful one, either.

Nato Assault (Astros Productions)

Graphics are good... and the game should quickly absorb all types - popular wargaming indeed!

Piggy (Bug-Byte)

It's not very good at all. A waste of dosh even at budget price. You'll be huffing and puffing for your money back!

Proof Of Destruction (Mastertronic)

Is it possible for a game to be more un-original, or boring, than this? Answers on a postcard...

Quest For The Golden Eggcup (Mastertronic)

An economic and effective beginners' adventure. People will be buying it in their droves.

Rockford (Mastertronic Added Dimension)

Boulderdash clone with plenty of challenge, plus the very welcome inclusion of Rockman on the "B" side for free. Not quite a mega game, but pretty damn near.

Scumball (Bulldog)

An exceptionally programmed game - fast, attractive and easy to control - but this time that ain't enough. It's boring. A bit more attention to gameplay might have been a good idea.

Side Arms (Go!)

A rather disappointing coin-op conversion. Flat graphics are the main problem and it's all quite uninspiring.

Star Paws (Software Projects)

A jolly little game owing more than a passing resemblance to Road Runner. At budget price, quite worth the spondies.

3D Starfighter (Codemasters)

A feeble blaster that's well below Codemasters' usual standard. It's less gripping than a hernia.

Teladon (Destiny)

It's not really terribly addictive, much as I praise the programming skills and the general slickness of the production. Collision detection, too, is questionable.