Producer: Elite
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Richard Wilcox

As Stringfellow Hawke, a former Vietnam chopper pilot, and the only man in the free world trained to fly the billion-dollar helicopter Airwolf, you have been assigned a dangerous rescue mission by the 'Firm'.

Five important US scientists are being held hostage deep in a subterranean base beneath the scorching Arizona desert. You must guide Airwolf on a series of perilous missions and bring about their release, each scientist one at a time. Only destruction of the defence control boxes strategically positioned within the cavern will allow Airwolf to descend to the heart of the base where the scientists are held.

So says the exciting inlay to this new game from Elite, the officially licensed version of the recent hit TV series starring Jan Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine.

The action takes place over several interlinked, scrolling screens, starting above ground. On the first two screens you are immediately faced with the defence fields, assembled boxes of blue which must be shot away box by box with the Airwolf's powerful cannon. The problem is that the entire field regenerates itself within only a few seconds and you have to start all over again. Gaining the passage takes you along to the cavern entrance, also guarded by a similar field, only now you are shooting down. From there on each cave is guarded by large guns, electric fields, and the very narrowness of the cavern passages makes life tough. To survive a screen is not to be finished with it, since your actions on another screen may well alter the situation on the earlier one, allowing you to backtrack to get a stage further.

Airwolf is a thoroughbred helicopter and like any aristocrat is difficult to handle, one problem being that it has to be flown to keep it airborne, none of this negative gravity to help with the shooting.

COMMENTS

Control keys: Q to T/A to G up/down, Z/X left/right, C to shoot
Joystick: Kempston
Keyboard play: very responsive and well laid out for left or right hands
Use of colour: excellent
Graphics: very detailed, smooth and imaginative, with very good scrolling
Sound: good
Skill levels: 1 with progressive difficulty
Lives: 5
Screens: 12

Airwolf is one of those games you're either going to be terribly addicted to and play to death, or you're going to switch it off. It's not that the game is bad, on the contrary it's very good. BUT it's so damn hard to get into and it takes practice just to get through the first obstacle. Like all other Elite games, Airwolf has very good graphics and the sound is alright. Your helicopter responds well to your actions and the game is fun to play (it would be better with a couple of friends)! If you fancy yourself a bit of an arcade ace then Airwolf could well prove you wrong! A vital accessory for this game is a strong firing finger - without it, you're lost before you start. Airwolf is a slick program that is worth buying because it will keep you entertained for ages.

Licensed games from well known films or TV often have little to do with the original, relying on the original to sell them. Airwolf is no exception - okay it is a helicopter, but so what, and so what indeed, Airwolf doesn't need Jan Michael to sell it, the game can do it all by itself. This is one of the meanest arcade shoot em ups since they brought Scramble out on the big machines. The pace is violent, furiously fast and will totally destroy your index finger in the process. The game is hard and allows you no respite - you no sooner get through a defence ring and onto another screen with a sigh of relief and NO - it's off again. Thrilling stuff! One clever touch is the neat recovery of a mistake made on the inlay which omits to tell you the fire-button. The loading screen finishes with the large words C TO SHOOT. Press C at your peril!

There's more to this game than meets the eye. At first I thought it was a damned difficult game with seemingly little content, just pretty graphics, with realistic shaded trees and snow-capped mountain tops in the distance. Looks good, eh? Well, after about an hour and a half of trying to remove a sing wall I was through, no, not through with the game, through with the wall, and then there was another wall, another half an hour of perseverance was spent on it. I was through, YIPPEE! At last, I could get into the game for real, down into the deep dark depths of the caverns I dropped to find ray guns trying to destroy me. Little did they know I was more intelligent than that, frantically shooting what looked like a doorstop, it opened another cavern - exciting isn't it? On I went to forcefields, my goodness, they were tough to get through, but me being me, I got through it. Faced with torturous cannon as they tried to take pot shots at me, lucky was I that I had a high-performance jetcopter - convenient isn't it? Then there was a moron of a cannon, would it let me through? No it wouldn't let me through it shot in every direction. What do I do, I thought, as my limp finger was dropping off the fire button and my joystick was smoking with action and rage. Well, that's for you to find out. This game is incredibly difficult, but highly playable and addictive. Graphics are neat and futuristic, detail is quite an asset to this game. Elite have gone back into the air again with a winner. Why not buy it - then you can suffer, as much as I have had to do.

OLDIES UNLIMITED

Practically every software shop now sports row upon row of irresistibly shiny, incredibly tempting re-releases. If this array of gorgeous goodies leaves you breathless and confused (even £1.99 is a waste if it's spent on something truly bad), never fear. With years of experience on their side, a metaphorical teacup soothingly poised and plenty of calming advice, MARK CASWELL and KATI HAMZA are about to cool your troubled brow. Pause before you squander all your silver pennies. Collapse into a comfortable chair and peruse our guide to a few of the better re-releases...

Airwolf
Producer: Encore
Price: £1.99
Original Rating: 90%

Based on an American TV show screened a few years ago (and subsequently repeated on countless occasions), Airwolf was released by Elite way back in 1985. The show starred Jan Michael Vincent as Stringfellow Hawke, a rather loopy Vietnam war veteran, and Ernest Borgnine as his co-pilot. The daring duo are given charge of a multi-million dollar, hush-hush experimental helicopter that is armed with some pretty mean weapons. In this episode, their task is to rescue five scientists from a subterranean base set deep in the Arizona desert.

The game takes place within a complex of interlinked caverns guarded by huge guns, electric fields, and separated by very narrow passages (just watch the paintwork). Shooting the control boxes disables these defences and enables the brave pilot to the heart of the base and rescue each (very ungrateful) boffin in turn.

The wheels of time have turned full circle since Airwolf was first reviewed way back in issue 13 and this game is certainly showing its age. The graphics are colourful, but extremely simplistic in places. Gameplay is a little more challenging, but this soon becomes tiresome as the second or third life in a row is lost trying to pass some of the obstacles. Fans of the TV series may find a little more enjoyment in this prehistoric relic but even that is pretty doubtful.

BARGAIN BASEMENT

Come on down! The Pryce is right! (Groan - Ed) Once again Nat Pryce single-handedly guides us through the treacherous world of the budget game.

Encore
£1.99
Reviewer: Nat Pryce

Lordy be! I remember when this first came out. At the time there was a bit of a fuss 'cos one magazine gave it a smashing review while virtually everyone else thought it was pretty naff. Airwolf isn't actually all that bad though.

You must pilot the famous billion-dollar helicopter into the cavernous base of some terrorist organisation and airlift kidnapped scientists to safety, avoiding self building walls, death rays, cannons and other assorted hazards, without crashing into the walls or smashing your rotor blades to pieces on the roof.

The whole game isn't particularly large but, boy, is it tough. At budget price this certainly isn't a bad purchase, but there are better games around.

Ross: How d'you fancy being in the role of Stringfellow Hawke in Elite's officially licenced version of Airwolf? The plot for those who don't know, is that five important US scientists are being held hostage in an underground base and Hawke alone will rescue them.

The game is only Kempston compatible and, although the keyboard controls are very responsive, they're not laid out as well as I'd have liked. But the helicopter graphic is drawn very well indeed and certainly behaves realistically; it tilts as you fly forward and falls under the force of gravity. In fact, all the graphics arc very good, and there's clever use of shading to produce depth to the backdrops and a variety of colours.

The first obstacles to stand in your way are bands of anonymous blocks and these must be destroyed quickly, allowing no time for their replacement. The trick is to rapidly move the 'copter up and down while blasting away furiously. This is the best game yet from Elite and it's pretty difficult to play. Definitely one for the masochists. 4/5 HIT

Dave: Pretty graphics, but not a very interesting game. It seems to be written in compiled Basic, and my combination of RAM Turbo interface and Quickshot 2 rapid fire crashed it wonderfully! 2/5 MISS

Roger: This must be one of the most frustrating affairs I've ever had with the Speccy! Good, but too difficult to hold my attention. 3/5 HIT

Use of Computer: 85%
Graphics: 92%
Playability: 91%
Getting Started: 89%
Addictive Qualities: 95%
Value for Money: 90%
Overall: 90%

Stringfellow Hawke, helicopter ace and 'nam veteran must pilot the Airwolf through an underground labyrinth, deep bellow the scorched sands of the Arizona desert. Five scientists have been captured, and Airwolf must go in and rescue them.

The passages and tunnels are well protected, with defence fields, guns and electric barriers. The helicopter sinks under gravity, so the player must constantly dab the 'up' button to remain airborne.

THEN
"Airwolf doesn't need Jan Michael to sell it - the game can do it all by itself. This is one of the meanest arcade shoot 'em ups since they brought Scramble out on the big machines. The pace is violent, furiously fast and will totally destroy your index finger in the process. The game is hard and allows you no respite - you no sooner get through a defence ring and onto another screen with a sigh of relief and NO - it's off again. Thrilling stuff!"

NOW
"Airwolf was one of the first licensed games on the market, and certainly the best of its day on the Spectrum. It was very good on all counts: nice graphics, cute sound and immensely compelling and infuriating gameplay. I was very surprised at how hard it actually was - some people in the office took more than an hour of continuous play to get past the first two obstacles. Unfortunately after you had mastered all the screens (which didn't take too long as there were only twelve of them) and got all the scientists, there wasn't really any point in playing it again. Today I still think it is a good game, but not quite state of the art. All the ratings should go down into the seventies."

BUBBLING UNDER...

And if you weren't stunned by the four previous YS Megagames I chose, here's six more worth looking at!

Encore
£1.99
Reviewer: David McCandless

This terrifically hard and graphically sparkling helicopter shoot 'em up based on the TV series with the same name has you fighting with inertia and bullets. First released: January '86.

AIRWOLF
Elite
Memory: 48K
Price: £6.95
Joystick: Kempston

Buy the rights to a well-known TV series. Find an old game knocking around which bears a passing resemblance to the scenario. Hey presto! another spin-off is born.

In Airwolf you are the pilot of the eponymous helicopter which you fly through a series of scrolled scenes. Two-thirds of the screen contains scrubs and mountains and the middle third, through which Airwolf travels, looks like a long black tunnel.

The inlay card informs you that Airwolf must rescue five scientists, who are being held in a base somewhere beneath the Arizona desert. You are not told why or by whom.

Viewers of the television series will already be familiar with Airwolf. The plot rotates around a slick and sophisticated helicopter which fights the baddies.

Sadly though, the arcade game is a poor substitute. The graphics are dull and the tasks uninspired. The first obstacle, a wall, appears as Airwolf shoots through the 'tunnel'. While busy destroying the wall with full firing power it starts rebuilding itself. If you succeed in demolishing that wall the next obstacle which comes into view is - yes, you guessed - a very familiar looking wall. Very imaginative.

Although there is the option for keyboard or joystick control the latter is well advised as all five keys would require simultaneous operation. The game bears a resemblence to Blue Thunder and is produced by the same company. This sheep in Airwolf's clothing is best avoided.

MACHINE: Spectrum/keyboard or joystick
SUPPLIER: Elite
PRICE: £6.95

Hot out of the Elite hanger comes Airwolf - another super-copter in the Blue Thunder mould. If you've been watching telly on Friday nights recently you'll know all about the billion dollar helicopter and its pilot, Vietnam veteran, Stringfellow Hawke, who zooms around saving the world and damsels in distress.

Even if you haven't caught up with the series you'll enjoy this game from Elite - who continue their policy of bringing out games based on hit TV shows.

In Airwolf, you take on the role of Hawke who has been given a dangerous mission by his employers, the mysterious organisation known as the FIRM. Hawke has to rescue five US scientists who are being held hostage in a subterranean base beneath the Arizona desert.

You have to fly Airwolf on a series of night missions rescuing each scientist in turn. Only the destruction of strategically placed control boxes within the cavern will allow Airwolf to descend to the heart of the base where the scientists are imprisoned. You have find them complete your mission.

You start the game at Airwolf's base and take off into the enemy lair - where force fields suddenly appear before your 'copter. You must blast holes in the force shields big enough to allow Airwolf to squeeze through and continue the rescue mission.

Background graphics are great - but I felt the representation of the Airwolf chopper could be improved. Game play is addictive - and you must move fast to get through those force fields once you've blasted a way through otherwise they close up on you!

I reckon it's Elite's best yet. Airwolf is also available on the 64.

PRICE: £6.95
GAME TYPE: Arcade

Judging difficulty levels in a game is never easy for a reviewer. If a game appears easy is that because the reviewer has played ten other games like it in the past week? If it appears difficult, is that because the reviewer has not devoted enough time to it?

However, without qualification, Airwolf can be defined as difficult to the point of absurdity. The first screen is easy enough, for there are no obstacles to overcome, but on the second screen your way is blocked by a massive wall. Touching the wall or the ground below it means certain death , but in order to shoot a passage through it, you must steer your helicopter up and down it many times. A further problem is that the wall rebuilds itself very quickly, so you only have a short period in which to shoot your way through.

It is not impossible to get through this wall, although it is probably next to impossible if you do not possess a joystick. After half an hour's work from six reviewers, one finally made it through the wall only to meet... another wall.

Those people who are attracted to Airwolf with the aim of 'beating the reviewers' may be interested to know that the game sets you up as Stringfellow Hawke, the only man who can fly the billion dollar helicopter Airwolf and, therefore, the man who can save five US scientists.

Airwolf is produced by Elite Systems Ltd, 55 Bradford Street, Walsall.

ARCADE

Clare Edgeley blasts her way through a wealth of challenging software.

Get fit quick just about sums up the last 12 months. 1985 has seen enough sports games to put you off doing anything more strenuous than lifting a pint glass, at least for the next year.

Since the 1984 Olympics, we have competed in every imaginable sport: played footie with Bobby Charlton, run rings round Daley Thompson and been KO'd by big Frank... There is hardly an action sport left which has not been turned into a money spinner, with a Sportsman's name attached. What is wrong with Tessa Sanderson's Javelin anyway?

Daley Thompson's Decathlon was first to the tape back in November '84 and notched up a gold for Ocean when it jumped to number one in the charts for a few weeks. You have to compete in all ten events of the decathlon, taking part in the high jump, long jump and pole vault as well as track events. The 400m is the most gruelling and to keep up speed you must pump the joystick back and forth, which may result in a touch of cramp. The graphics are colourful and the game does give a taste of the real thing.

Melbourne House also attempted a compilation of events with Sports Hero, although it was nowhere near as successful as Daley Thompson. Sports Hero has you competing in four events - 100m sprint, long jump, 110m hurdles and the pole vault, over three difficulty levels. To gain speed you must pummel the run button and press the jump button before takeoff. Aching fingers seem to be the norm in that type of game and in many cases you will end up with a sick keyboard as well. There is no sound and the graphics are not fantastic, although the scrolling background is interesting. A few more events should have been possible.

More recently, Brian Jacks' Superstar Challenge from Martech reached the top ten, although it came a poor second to Imagine's Hypersports. Both contain a weird hotch-potch of events - some interesting, others boring. Brian Jacks gives you a pretty raw deal. For £7.95 you can immerse yourself in such exciting events as squat thrusts and arm dips. Those may be thrilling to watch on TV but on computer they are about as much fun as a wet blanket.

Hypersports is a different ball game altogether. Licensed from the arcade game of the same name, the computer version is very like the original, although some events lack imagination. When swimming - or floundering, if you forget to breathe - instead of tearing down to the end of the pool, the end moves towards you. Clay pigeon shooting is certainly one of the better events, in which you must shoot the skeets through automatically moving sights. The vault is tricky and rather than vaulting as far as possible from the horse, you are likely to end up on your head beside it. The graphics are generally thought to be more professional than Daley Thompson's Decathlon, though whether the game is better is a moot point.

Jonah Barrington's Squash from New Generation is an interesting concept which seems to have fallen flat. Knock a miniscule black ball round the 3D court and try to beat Jonah at his own game. Jonah is one of Britain's leading squash players. Much was made of the fact that a taped recording of Jonah's voice calls out the scores. Unfortunately, all you get is an unintelligible gabble and it is easier to read them on the score board anyway.

We awarded imagine's World Series Baseball three stars in the June issue, which just goes to show that our forecasts are not always spot on. In June, July and August it remained at number three in the charts, only dropping to eleventh place in September.

The game opens with a traditional rendering of the tAmerican National Anthem. Then play starts, with one team pitching and the other batting. You can play with a friend or against the computer, adjusting the speed and direction of the ball when pitching and the strength and lift of your swing when batting. Loving attention has been paid to detail with a large scoreboard displaying genuine adverts between innings.

Last, but not least, boxing - the sport for ugly mugs. Cauliflower ears and battered brains are only half the fun - just think what you can do to your opponent. A few months ago three games were released simultaneously on the back of Punch Out!!, a highly successful arcade game.

Elite's Frank Bruno's Boxing knocks Rocco and Knockout for six, and is easily the most playable and realistic, offering more possible moves and a greater number of competitors than either of the other games. It is also the only boxing game featuring a sporting personality - Bruno helped in an advisory capacity during production which explains the close attention to detail.

Gremlin Graphic's Rocco squares up well in the ring, though you will find it is not as easy to dodge your opponent as it is in Frank Bruno, and there are only three competitors. The scoring system is simple and the graphics are the clearest of the three games. It is worth playing and annihilates Alligata's Knockout in the ring.

Knockout is appalling and lacks any addictive qualities. It is the only game which uses colour - the others being mono - although that could have been sacrificed for extra playability. Other than left and right punches to the body and head, there is no facility for ducking and dodging, but at least you can amble away if the going gets too rough. You tend to spend a great deal of time seeing stars after being KO'd. At least it lives up to its name.

The legendary success of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy lives on. Platform and ladders games are still the rage and dozens of versions have landed in the Sinclair User offices over the last 12 months. Two years ago Manic Miner was a sure recipe for success, and because it was ahead of its time a lot of money was made. Programming techniques are now more sophisticated and with games like Alien 8 and Spy vs Spy around, who needs a Manic Miner spin-off?

However, they are here to stay and some at least are worth the money you pay for them. One of the more successful games is Strangeloop, released late in '84, which has gone a long way to repairing the damage done to Virgin by Sheepwalk - one of its earliest and most awful games.

A half-crazy computer is the source of all your troubles in Strangeloop and, playing the part of a metagalactic repairman, you must shut it down. There are over 240 rooms filled with lethal swarf which attacks and damages your space suit. A jetbike waits somewhere and will make your task easier but you have to locate and refuel it first. Objects picked up will help with various tasks and friendly robots will patch your torn suit. The graphics are colourful and simple. and there is even a facility for saving your position on tape, to be resumed later when you have recharged your batteries.

Jet Set Willy II is the biggest rip-off of them all as Software Projects has done little other than add about 70 extra screens to the original. Essentially it is the same as Jet Set Willy which was launched back in 1984. The plot is similar; clear up the house before going to bed and avoid the hundreds of lethal thingummies found in each room. Despite being little more than a re-release, Jet Set Willy II is currently doing very well in the charts.

Despite the lack of original thought, if you are still hooked on the challenge of platform and ladders, try The Edge's Brian Bloodaxe. A loopy game if ever there was one. Brian, a viking soldier has been trapped in a block of ice for centuries, and as it thaws, he leaps out shivering, but ready to conquer the British. Flapping 100 seats, deadly ducks and mad Scotsmen are a few of the dangers that lurk on each level. Objects to collect and chasms to be leapt add to his daunting task. Brian Bloodaxe is at least as good as Jet Set Willy, with much visual humour and bright, clear graphics.

Hewson, which has made a name for itself in recent months with arcade adventures such as Dragontorc and simulations like Heathrow ATC, must have had a brain storm late last year with Technician Ted, which is totally unlike the semi-serious games released since. Guide Ted around a silicon chip factory while looking for a plate of the real things. Pick up knives, forks and other necessary implements and avoid several nasty traps. Easy to play and reasonably addictive, Technician Ted is not one of Hewson's best games but has done quite well in the platform and ladders stakes.

Artic's Mutant Monty is more sophisticated than Technician Ted and includes some extremely tricky screens requiring split second timing - if you are slightly out, a lemon or some other incongruous object will squash you flat, and then where will the beautiful maiden be? it is a constant source of amusement that so much work goes into preparing intricate story lines bearing absolutely no resemblance to the game you are playing.

On the whole rip-offs are uniformly mediocre in standard and not the sort of game you would buy for lasting playability. Real fanatics will find Activision's Toy Bizarre and Micromega's Jasper a doddle, and probably have more fun playing blindfold with their hands tied behind their backs. Both games are average and employ run-of-the-mill graphics. In Toy Bizarre, the player leaps round the levels of a toy factory popping balloons while being chased by a gang of irate toys.

Meanwhile, in Jasper much the same thing is going on, only this time you are a furry rat collecting money bags and treasure chests while avoiding furry cats, rabbits and other hairy animals. Platform games are usually fast moving and it is generally easier to keep up with the pace using a joystick. Unless you have very strong fingers, Jasper is doomed as your only option is to use the Spectrum's sticky keyboard.

Arcade adventures have come into their own in recent months, some remaining for weeks at a time in the top ten. With the advent of games like Gyron, fewer people are willing to put up with games like Jet Pac - classics two years ago but now gathering dust in cupboards across the country.

Superior graphics is the name of the game and the Spectrum is being stretched to its limits in a constant effort to improve software. Some games combine excellent graphics with originality, though equally large numbers have been launched on the back of the successful few. Ultimate's Knight Lore, Underwurlde and Alien 8 are three successful examples and Nightshade is expected to do as well.

Underwurlde is rather like a vertical Atic Atac featuring the Sabre-man who must escape a series of chambers while avoiding hosts of nasties. The pace is fast, the screens colourful - a devious game.

Knight Lore and Alien 8 could, at first glance, be mistaken for the same game. Featuring superb 3D grahpics, Knight Lore's hero must search a maze of rooms and find the ingredients of a spell to lift a curse placed upon him. Each room presents a challenge and one wrong move spells instant death. The scenario in Alien 8 is different from its predecessor and the quality of graphics is even higher.

Wizard's Lair from Bubble Bus is an Atic Atac lookalike with shades of Sabre Wulf and is an excellent game, even if you have seen the same sort of thing before. Bubble Bus has made some attempt to change the scenario which covers three levels, accessed via a magic wardrobe lift.

The programmers of Firebird's Cylu were influenced by Alien 8. Cylu is in the Silver range and at £2.50 represents very good value - it is almost as frustrating as the original but the graphics are a little patchy. Ultimate should be proud that so many companies want to copy their games, though it's a crying shame that those same software houses cannot put their combined programming expertise to good use, and produce something original of their own.

Games featuring film scenarios and famous names are often the subject of massive advertising campaigns, and Domark's A View to a Kill was no exception. Played in three parts you must guide the intrepid 007 through the streets of Paris, San Francisco and into Silicon Valley to stop the evil Max Zorin from tipping chip valley into the drink. The game received mixed reviews but, at the time of writing, it had just made it into the top ten - probably due to the James Bond name. It is an exciting game but lacks much visual detail.

The Rocky Horror Show from CRL is already sliding down the charts and does not live up to its namesakes, the film and play. Rescue Janet or Brad from the Medusa machine by finding 15 component parts of the de-Medusa machine. It sounds riveting. Your task seems enormous as you can carry only one part of the machine at a time and if you expect to meet normal sane characters in the castle, forget it. More could have been made of the graphics and the action is slow in places, but it is worth playing if only to meet Magenta who will strip you of your clothes. Wow!

Beyond's Spy vs Spy is unique and features simultaneous play between two players on a split screen. Take part in the zany humour of MAD magazine's two famous characters, the black spy and the white spy, each trying to stop the other finding secret documents in a foreign embassy. Set whacky traps as you ransack each room before escaping to the airport. It is fun, highly addictive and very amusing. Buying the licence to films, books and names is an expensive business, and at last one company has made the most of it with an excellent game.

It is interesting to note that when one unusual game is launched others of a similar nature swiftly follow. Perhaps all programmers follow the same thought waves. Last summer we had an unusual trio of games, reviewed in May, June and August issues. Two are based on the human body - not the most obvious subject for a game.

Quicksilva's Fantastic Voyage is a thrilling game based on the sixties film of the same name, in which Raquel Welch is injected into the body of a brain damaged scientist. Unfortunately, your mini-sub breaks up and you have only one hour to locate all the missing parts. Searching is a novel experience as you rush from atrium to stomach to lung and heart in a never ending circle. Finding your way to the brain is difficult as it is not signposted and the turning is easy to miss. Dine on red blood cells to keep up your energy and clear any infections which frequently break out - normally in the most inaccessible parts of the scientist's anatomy. A great way to learn about your bits, and where they are situated.

Icon's Frankenstien 2000 bears little resemblance to Fantastic Voyage, though it is played in a monster's body. Whoever heard of monsters smoking fags? This one obviously did and that is probably why it's dead. On reaching the lungs, battle with cigarette packets, avoid hopping frogs in the trachea, and fire at any oxygen molecules it is your misfortune to encounter. The graphics are uninspired and the game is simple.

Genesis' Bodyworks was reviewed in June and it is difficult to know what to make of it. It is hardly an arcade game - more of an illustrated, educational tour of the workings of a human body, describing the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Space Invaders was one of the first great games on the Spectrum and software houses have never tired of the theme. Space games crop up in all categories; simulations, adventures and arcade adventures. Activision has even brought out Ballblazer, a sports game played in space. Way out!

Moon Cresta from Incentive is a traditional game in which you shoot everything in sight, and then dock with another space ship before taking off to do exactly the same on the next level. With complex games like Starion around one would think that games of this calibre would flop. But no, there must be some people around whose brains are in their trigger fingers. Surprisingly, Moon Cresta is creeping up the charts. Long live the aliens.

Melbourne House's Starion takes space travel seriously and combines a number of features, including the traditional shoot 'em up, word puzzles and anagrams. Kill off enemy space ships and collect the letters they drop, then unscramble those to form a word. Fly down to earth and answer a puzzle to change the course of Earth's history. There are 243 events to rewrite - and that amounts to a lot of flying time. Starion is well up in the top ten.

System 3 has come up with the goods against all opposition with the dreadful Death Star Interceptor, which has proved surprisingly popular. If you are really into boring games, this is right up your alley. Played in three sections, first take off into outer space, next avoid assorted aliens and then, as in Star Wars, plant a bomb in the exhaust port of an enemy death star. It is all thrilling stuff.

Quicksilva's Glass is amazing to look at. Psychedelic colours make you want to blink in this repetitive but addictive game. There are hundreds of screens to blast through, and whole sections are spent dodging columns as you hurtle through a 3D spacescape. The rest of the time is spent shooting radar antennae off unsuspecting space ships. The graphics make up for any limitations in the game and demonstrates that a traditional shoot 'em up need not be boring.

This final section consists of a number of games which cannot be categorised. A strange mixture falls into this area - many are shoot 'em ups in some form or another, others require an element of cunning and strategy.

Gyron from Firebird, a Sinclair User classic, is a unique game in which you must travel through a complex maze, dodging massive rolling balls and keeping a watchful eye on the guardian towers to be round at each junction. Those shoot at you, but approaching from another angle may change the direction of their fire. As there are two mazes to get through, it should take months. Gyron is likely to deter arcade nuts, but for those with staying power, it is an attractive proposition. It did make a brief appearance in the top ten at the time of writing, but has since fallen away.

US Gold's Spy Hunter, based on the arcade game of the same name, is a faithful replica of the original. It all takes place on the road as you drive your souped-up sports car through a variety of traps laid down by the baddies. Equip your motor with a variety of weapons, obtainable from a weapons van which you drive into Italian Job style. Rockets, smoke screens and oil slicks are all strongly reminiscent of 007.

Elite's Airwolf is a game that we found so hard as to be almost impossible, and which everyone else seemed to find a cinch - and told us so in no uncertain terms! Try if you can, to fly your chopper down a long, narrow tunnel to rescue five scientists stuck at the end. Blast your way through walls, which rematerialise as fast as you can destroy them - a well nigh impossible task for those whose trigger fingers and joysticks have suffered from the likes of Daley Thomson's Decathlon. Airwolf has done better than we predicted. You can't win them all.

Ghostbusters, the mega box office hit last Christmas was a prime candidate for a computer game and Activision was first to the ghost. Featuring all the best parts of the film, it was an instant success and Activision did well to launch it simultaneously with the movie. Drive around the city coaxing ghouls into your ghost trap but listen out for a Marshmallow Alert. That giant sticky marshmallow man is quite capable of flattening whole streets unless halted. Greenbacks play an important part in the game as you have to buy your equipment to get started, and earn enough prize money for the number of ghosts caught, in order to take part in a final showdown with Zuul.

Finally Tapper from US Gold - another Sinclair User classic. Tapper is a simple but refreshing game centered round an all-American soda bar. You play a harassed barman, who must serve his customers with drinks. Easy at first as you slide them down the bar but wait until they have gulped down the fizzy stuff. Running backwards and forwards between four bars, make sure the customers have got a drink, and catch the empties as they come skidding back. There are three difficulty levels, each one faster and more hectic than the last. Tapper is moving up the charts and we are sure that it will go far towards refreshing the parts other games cannot reach.

The fierce competition over the last 12 months has chased many companies into liquidation. There have, however, been successes, particularly with a number of small software houses bringing new blood into the market. That can only be seen as a healthy sign.

The lack of QL games software is the only disappointment. Where is it? Other than a few basic programs such as Reversi, which cut its eye teeth on the ZX-81 years ago, there has been a dearth of games for this flagging micro. If games of the quality of Knight Lore can be produced for the Spectrum, why not for the QL?