MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys, Kemp
FROM: Firebird, £2.50

Mr Freeze is one of the games in British Telecom-owned Firebird Software's range. You control the title character who must de-freeze six compartments of a fridge. The fridge is a platform and ladders arrangement frosted for effect. To complete his task on each screen he must reach the de-ice box which is positioned in different places according to the screen. The various compartments can be attempted in any order.

However, the fridge is packed with aliens and deadly food lasers which fly about all over the place. There are also ice cubes and gaps in the platforms which block Mr Freeze's path (these must be jumped). Falling from a height or contact with the aliens loses him a life. If this happens he becomes an ice-cube himself - an attractive piece of programming.

The graphics are detailed and colourful, Mr Freeze himself is particularly well animated, clumping along in his heavy space-suit. Sound is minimal and the controls are hopeless. There is a Kempston joystick option but forget it. There are four directions to move in, and firing the laser pushes back the enemy alien. Jumping is achieved with joystick control by pushing the stick to the top-right or top-left diagonal position, and this mixes up with the direction controls making accurate movements difficult and jumping ice blocks almost impossible. So stick to the keyboard option it is marginally better.

Platform games have reached a peak with games like Monty Mole and Jet Set Willy so perhaps software houses should be dreaming up new scenarios. Games such as Mr Freeze seem to be taking a step backwards in programming. Six compartments seem pretty unamazing but with the awful controls you have a hard job on your hands.

Even at £2.50 Mr Freeze may receive rather a cold reception since it's a simple platform game with rather dodgy control.

As a budget-priced game the six screens are fairly good value and the idea is different even if the execution isn't.

Fortunately each screen is not always the same because the food varies in its movements, so you won't be able to guarantee completing a screen each time.

BOB WADE

This icy little number leaves me cold.

Gameplay is horribly unexciting because, there's nothing to pick up and your only aim is to hit the de-icing button at the top-right of the screen. You would have thought that a game with only six screens would at least have six interesting screens.

STEVE SPITTLE

Control is very annoying; whether the huge delay between pressing a key and getting a response is to simulate skidding on ice, or is sheer bad technique is not made clear. Whatever the reason, it seriously detracts from the playability.

Even then at £2.50 Mr Freeze is not worth the lolly.

PETER WALKER