Producer: Crystal, 16K
£5.50

This game is a copy of an arcade shoot 'em up and almost makes a category of its own. Aliens stand in several vertical columns on either side of the screen. The centre block is a stack of humans and your three space ships (and lives). Your ship is at the base, firing up. Aliens zip across to the centre, grabs human and abduct him to the side. Eventually they can get at the three ships and steal those. For each one they get to the side you lose a life. Too rapid fire shortens the range so it's better to be accurate than fast. Features fast motherships that zip along the base just above your head and fire at you, rapid mutants and six difficulty levels. Joystick: Kempston. Recommended.

Producer: Crystal, 16K
£5.50

This game is a copy of an arcade shoot 'em up and almost makes a category of its own. Aliens stand in several vertical columns on either side of the screen. The centre block is a stack of humans and your three space ships (and lives). Your ship is at the base, firing up. Aliens zip across to the centre, grabs human and abduct him to the side. Eventually they can get at the three ships and steal those. For each one they get to the side you lose a life. Too rapid fire shortens the range so it's better to be accurate than fast. Features fast motherships that zip along the base just above your head and fire at you, rapid mutants and six difficulty levels. Joystick: Kempston. Recommended.

HALLS OF THINGS COULD BE A DANGER TO HEALTH

Halls Of Things for the 48K Spectrum is a game which could change the Spectrum games scene overnight.

The program is technically excellent and dangerously addictive, although you can forget about high scores until you become adept.

You play a little man who must rush up and down the stairs to different levels of a maze in which several magic rings can be found. The problem is that some little space invader-type creatures are out to get you with their fireballs and lightning. You can fight them with your fireballs, lightning and sword. You can also heal the wounds which have been inflicted on you by using magic, of which you have a limited amount.

The screen display makes it even more impressive. It looks as if the game is running on an Apple 2E or UK-101, both computers more expensive than the Spectrum. The game is bound to be a hit apart from one criticism. Halls of Things has no sound. The fights between Things and the hero could be made even more dramatic with the addition of lightning zaps or explosions.

Cosmic Guerrilla is an arcade game which is also produced by Crystal Computing for the Spectrum.

You have three spaceships to save and, depending on how far you proceed in the game, the aliens mutate from ordinary space invaders to cosmic pigs. The sound and graphics combine to make the game good fun and easy to play. Halls of Things costs £6.50 and Cosmic Guerrilla £5.95. Both cassettes can be obtained from Crystal Computing, 2 Ashton Way, East Herrington, Sunderland, SR3 3RX.

Producer: Crystal, 16K
£5.50

This game is a copy of an arcade shoot 'em up and almost makes a category of its own. Aliens stand in several vertical columns on either side of the screen. The centre block is a stack of humans and your three space ships (and lives). Your ship is at the base, firing up. Aliens zip across to the centre, grabs human and abduct him to the side. Eventually they can get at the three ships and steal those. For each one they get to the side you lose a life. Too rapid fire shortens the range so it's better to be accurate than fast. Features fast motherships that zip along the base just above your head and fire at you, rapid mutants and six difficulty levels. Joystick: Kempston. Recommended.

PRICE: £5.95
Memory: 16K

This is a new, original and fast, 100% machine code arcade type game. The object of the game is to protect your laser bases from the marauding aliens which slowly eat away your defences. The aliens are lined up vertically on either side of the screen, with your bases vertically lined up in the centre. The aliens smoothly walk towards the centre and collect the objects which are the only defence your bases have. Your task is to zap the aliens with the laser running horizontally along the bottom of the screen.

Though Cosmic Guerrilla does have some parallels with the 'space invaders' type games, the screen arrangement and the different scenarios put it way ahead in my view. One quality of 'Space Invaders' that it does unashamably possess, is its incredible addictive quality.

Amongst other things the graphics are good, as well as smooth, plus good sound and colour. This is a very playable game indeed. For all those who have enjoyed Space invaders, then this is the next step up. Highly recommended.