The Anti-Nuclear Party has infiltrated a nuclear power station and programmed the robots so that they are now running amok inside it. In just 30 minutes' time, the entire station will explode! You must prevent this by collecting 18 fuel rods and disposing of them in the pit that lies at the centre of the first floor of the station, which has seven floors. Despite a nice loading screen and some good music on the menu, this is a mediocre game with horrible and garish Spectrum-style graphics. You can only collect one rod at a time, and if you're on one of the higher floors, it's a pain to go all the way down to the first floor to dispose of it, and then go all the way back up. Also, the time limit seems to be too tight to allow the game to be completed.

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5

Baseball is popular in America, but not all that popular elsewhere, and this game is a very poor representation of it. The graphics aren't the problem here - although the players are badly drawn, the game switches to an excellent animation sequence, shown from behind the batter, when it's time to pitch the ball. It's not that there's almost no sound, either. It's just that the game is very slow indeed, and it seems to be impossible to hit the ball without fouling. Even the computer can't hit the ball!

See also: Championship Basketball.

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2

If you're thinking that this is a 'proper' simulation of basketball, think again. It's a two-on-two game - in other words, there are only two people in each team, and rather than being able to travel up and down the court, the game is always played in one half of the court, and each team takes it in turns to aim the ball into the net. The graphics are small with a bad choice of colours being used, and there doesn't seem to be any sound. Anyway, it's an unexciting game that is awkward to play.

See also: Championship Baseball.

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4

Why Codemasters chose to release a game that is identical in almost every way to Jet Bike Simulator is something that eludes me. Here, you only get to play one of the three sets of courses, and it also happens to be the hardest of the three. You're also in expert mode, which means that if you finish last, you're out. The first course is much too tough as there's a very narrow gap you have to squeeze your jetski through, and it's far too easy to miss it and so end up coming last. Go and play Jet Bike Simulator instead.

See also: Jet Bike Simulator.

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4

This is supposed to be the sequel to Super Sprint, but in reality it's just a re-released version with a built-in track editor. Other than that, there is literally no difference between the two games at all - at least, there were no differences that I could detect. OK, you can design your own tracks, and there are no on-track hazards such as oil slicks, but the game is still as boring as its predecessor and the graphics and sound effects are exactly the same.

See also: Super Sprint.

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5

This adaptation of Roald Dahl's much-loved children's book is very poor indeed. There are two sub-games and a platform game which can only be played properly if you complete both the sub-games first. In the first sub-game, you must guide Augustus Gloop through a network of pipes. As you walk left and right, the pipes re-arrange themselves. It's confusing and very difficult indeed. You play Violet Beauregarde in the second sub-game. You carry a board in front of you and must guide the blueberries into the hole so that the juice can be extracted from them. The main game is a standard platform game in which you collect Willy Wonka tokens. This is also very difficult. The graphics are crude and blocky and the gameplay is totally uninspiring.

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2

Chase HQ
(Ocean, 1989)

You're an American police cop with an ultra-fast sports car, and have to chase criminals in it and arrest them by ramming their car - although this isn't something I would want to do to a car as expensive as that! You're also racing against the clock, and Nancy, your boss, is not someone you want to mess with. This is a truly great game with some very good graphics, and it's fast as well! The sound isn't too good - engine noises and not that much else - but if you have 128K, then you'll be treated to some stunning digitised speech. This is definitely a game that is not to be missed.

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9

The Chessmaster series of games, with its image of a wise man with a long hair and beard looking thoughtfully at a chessboard, has been going strong since the first release in 1986, which was adapted for the Amstrad CPC several years later. It isn't called "the finest chess program in the world" for nothing; I'm a novice at chess, and even on the lowest of the eight skill levels available, the computer always beats me, but if you're an experienced player, you'll obviously want to play a challenging opponent. I also think the 3D view of the board is ugly and the pieces are difficult to distinguish - but most chess players will probably stick to the default 2D view anyway.

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7

The White Knight was taking a walk in the forest with the beautiful princess when they are ambushed by demons, who steal the Knight's sword, shield and helmet and capture the princess, taking her away to the castle. Playing the White Knight, you must rescue her - but first you'll have to get your horse back, and then travel through the dangerous marsh to collect your belongings in the correct order. Once you're safely on the other side, you must then work out how to enter the castle while dodging the cannonballs being fired at you. The princess is being held behind one of the many doors inside the castle - but which one? This is a delightful little game at first, with excellent animation, although you may want to turn the sound down! However, it's much too easy to complete; must people should be able to do this after a few attempts.

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6

Hit the road in a classic 1959 Chevy car as you drive across America to reach your girlfriend. The game consists of four stages, each divided into four sections. You're racing against the clock, and the other drivers on the road don't make life easy. As you progress to the next section, the sky changes colour and your time is extended, and at the end of each stage, it's time to rest and relax. There are also 'auto centres' on each stage where you can upgrade your car. The graphics are marvellous and really colourful, and you can even choose the colour and make of your own car. The music at the start of the game isn't that good, but the game is great fun to play and the difficulty level is just right.

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8