REPLAY

Most of JON PILLAR's friends are old speccy games. No one else really understands him...

Kixx
£4.99
Reviewer: Jon Pillar

Another three-pack hits the streets (as they say) - this one with games so old, they're positively wrinkly.

RAID

The American president is informed that there's a nuclear attack going on, and there's only one thing to do. Move to Stoke Poges. Er, I mean jet in a crack squad soldier chappies to destroy the enemy control systems (of course!). The graphics may show their age, but the gameplay's held up well as you 'raid' across five levels from a low-gravity hangar to a meeting with killer robots. It's good and long, with a sprinkling of strategy amid the shooting.

BEACH-HEAD

The oldest of the three, and rather past it I'm afraid. Originally, it caused a stir with it's first-person 3D, but now the dated graphics just highlight the repetitiveness of the gameplay. Fiddle with your guns' elevation, then shoot planes, ships, tanks and things.

BEACH-HEAD 2

This is more like it. Two players (hero and villain) slug it out in earnest over four very different levels. From the initial landing (where the hero's men swarm over the walls, lobbing grenades at the villain's overworked gun emplacement) to the final showdown (throwing pointy sticks at each other high above a river), it's a gem. Functional graphics (ahem) belie the groovy game design - and it's soooo satisfying to play the bad guy (and zap your pals!).

Oldies, but (nearly) goodies. Great fun at first, although you'll probably give up when the novelty wear off. And a £5 note is still too expensive!