Dave: I'll always remember the day I walked into my local pub and discovered that the Space Invaders machine had been replaced with something called Galaxians. The shock was so great that I had to have a drink pretty quick... medicinal, of course, you understand!

I soon recovered and spent many happy hours (and lOp pieces) learning the movement patterns of the aliens, until I could almost play the game just by listening to the electronic blips and buzzes that accompanied you through the levels. Now Atari has brought out the home computer version for the Spectrum.

To be fair, though, there have been several other Gaiaxian variants produced for the Spectrum, some of which were very good. But Atari's is the first to include all the elements of the original, such as the movement patterns that I struggled so hard to learn. The only real difference between this and the original is in the way the meanies re-appear at the top of the screen.

OK, so this version's overpriced, but it's still one of the best 'shoot 'em up's around! If you want a trip down Memory lane then buy it - but don't expect too much of the old fella... 4/5 HIT

Ross: Another very good Atarisoft offering that seems to have all the features of the original. The sound is good, the action fast and it plays superbly. Well worth collecting, if only for the nostalgic value. 3.5/5 MISS


Roger: Very close to the original. The only thing missing is the pub that used to accompany it! 4/5 MISS