Producer: Blaby Computer Games
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £1.99
Language: Machine code
Author: Chris Morrison

The name Hubert disguises a familiar game that in the arcade used a 'Q' instead of a 'H'. 31 squares arranged in alternating rows of four and five, must be changed in colour by jumping Hubert from one to another. On the first, easiest screen, Hubert is not pursued by anything, just to let you yet the hang of the keys, which are user-definable. On the second screen a bubble begins darting about, killing Hubert off if both should land on the same square. On the third it's the same except Hubert must change the colours of the square twice. Jumping off the edge of the playing area results in instant death.

Subsequent screens add another nasty up to total of three, each addition alternating with single change and double change colours.

COMMENTS

Control keys: user-definable
Joystick: Kempston, but almost any via UDK
Keyboard play: responsive, although it seems the monsters have a move priority over you, which is disadvantageous at times
Use of colour: fairly good
Graphics: reasonable and fast
Sound: nice effects
Skill levels: 1 with progressive difficulty
Lives: 3

Another "Q-Bert" game, not in the traditional pyramid layout style though, more rectangular 3D block. This could be said to make the game a bit more difficult since you can't get a real straight run. The playing area is drawn quite nicely, although the use of the several bright colours makes a little hard to see at times. Your man is not very detailed but moves quite nicely with a good squelching sound. Quite a good buy at £1.99.

The use of definable keys in a game like this is very good, since controls are in diagonals, and not everyone can cope with preset ones that are not of their own choosing. The coloured steps are not always instantly visible, but some thought has gone into making sure the monsters are, as they change from black to white to act as a contrast to the colour step they are on. This is as challenging a "Q-Bert" type game as I have seen, especially as there are no flying saucers, and for its price it is very good value.

I thought the monsters are a bit too random in their darting movements which tends to lower the skills factor involved. This little grumble apart, I would find it hard not to recommend this version since it offers good playability against any other. Okay, so you don't get marvellous floating graphics, but it plays a fast game effectively, and I like the option of redefinable keys on a cheap price game like this, which you wouldn't normally expect. And there's the nice touch, when you loose a life, of a balloon appearing at the top containing the letter S followed by various symbols which represents that word we're not allowed to use in CRASH anymore.