MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Kemp, Keys, Prot, Sinc
FROM: Omega, £1.99

VIDEO NASTY

The software market is a strange one. It is incredible that such a huge gap exists between the best and the worst. At one end is superb software such as Sabre Wulf, Jet Set Willy and Lords of Midnight and at the other end in the value for money stakes the wooden spoon goes without a doubt to this awful program. I had the honour of reviewing the last Omega release, and yes folks - this is even worse.

We are told that Andy the caretaker is looking after a toy warehouse and suddenly the dolls come to life and try to escape (well who can blame them). Guess who has to try to catch them.

You take the title role and can move around the screen in any direction dodging the other horrors of the night - there are loads of these which are very hard to dodge - and catching the dolls by running over them. Other toys that are picked up give a bonus on your score. Each screen consists of different nasties which are well animated and move very smoothly. There is just one skill level but the control keys are good.

The graphics of Andy and the dolls are very detailed though the animation is pretty poor. The sound is really bad, for the most part - just clicks and barely audible. The death sequence will really have you tearing your hair out - a tombstone springs up and a high pitched tune 'plays' for about ten seconds. This holds up the game and you may find yourself reaching for the plug.

The main problem with the game is the fact that the whole wretched program consists of only one screen of action, which would not even qualify for being a part of any top game.

Prehistoric compared to the standard of software which people will buy and a complete waste of time, money, and effort on Omega's part.

When this 48K program took only one minute to load, I though that perhaps it included a fast-load system; sadly I was wrong. Handy Andy is short but not at all sweet, being a 'dodge the blob' game of the simplest variety.

The graphics consist of your little man, one type of bouncing alien and various static characters; overall they are limited in variety and uninteresting. Sound is very basic, with dull 'plipp' sounds punctuating the 'action'.

If you are one of the rare breed of snail-racing, maggot-wrestling individuals you will probably enjoy this game. On the cassette insert it says, 'The dolls begin to march out of their store' - they obviously have taste.

STEVE SPITTLE

The only thing this game is handy for is the rubbish bin. It has horrid graphics and sound and a mindless task for you to complete.

There is no lasting interest provided by the meagre single screen and the game itself is not very playable. Omega seem to have licenced much of the substandard software of other major companies who are unprepared to sell it (I wonder why?).

BOB WADE