A ghost ship, the Chimera, has appeared over the skies of the USA, which has decided to destroy it. Four warheads have been placed around the ship, and a robot has been placed inside the ship to activate them, which you control. You must wander the corridors of the ship, finding objects and destroying barriers which are in your way by using the right object; if you use the wrong object, you will be electrocuted! The robot also requires a supply of food and water (eh?) which you will need to pick up regularly. The game uses isometric graphics and they're pretty good, although like several other games of its type, some of the colour schemes are horrible. A merry tune also plays on the menu. It's a fairly good game which will take a while to finish.

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8

Chip's Challenge
(US Gold, 1991)

Chip Callahan fancies Melissa the Mental Marvel, but before he can join her Bit Busters club, she sets him a challenge of completing 144 levels of mental agility and dexterity. Chip has to collect computer chips on each of the levels, but they may lie behind locked doors or across a river or a wall of fire, or they may be guarded by monsters, so you'll need to find the coloured keys to open doors, and shields, magnets and boots to allow you to walk on fire, water, ice and conveyor belts. The graphics are fairly simple but the high-energy music is really good. It's a shame that the game isn't as fast as the music; Chip moves rather slowly and some of the levels are too big. There is a password for each level, though, which is good.

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7

This is a simple game in which you control a helicopter and build an aeroplane by collecting the necessary parts for it. The parts appear one at a time on the screen, the next part appearing after you have collected the current part and moved it to the bottom right of the screen. To make life more difficult, there are four aliens which float around the screen; if you touch any of them, you lose a life. At first it's a rather enjoyable game to play, even though the graphics are rather basic and a bit flickery. Unfortunately, this enjoyment doesn't last; by the third level, things become much more difficult, and there's very little variety between levels, anyway.

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6

La Chose de Grotemburg
(UBI Soft, 1987)

The village of Sadiphinrol has being terrorised by – well, something. Your partner's blood-covered body is lying in the kitchen, and you want revenge, but you learn that many other villagers have also been massacred. This French text adventure is rather good, although there are few characters to meet (which is perhaps not surprising!), and your ability to interact with them is very limited. The pictures that accompany each of the many locations are very well drawn indeed and really add atmosphere to the game, and the excellent music on the loading screen is also worth mentioning. The game isn't too difficult, either; just make sure you search locations thoroughly in order to reveal hidden objects. This is definitely one of the better French adventures I've seen.

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8

The great and wise Chen Heung wrote the original manuscript that teaches a warrior the hidden arts of Choy Lee Fut. A great demon has made its way out of the deepest chambers of hell and stolen the manuscript. As an apprentice in these fine arts, you must first train in using your fists, and then weapons. You are also influenced by one of five animals that determines the scope and skill of your attack. This is a beat-'em-up with a difference; you train first and then move on once your master is pleased. The visuals are detailed, colourful and well animated, with sparse in-game effects.

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7

This is a horizontally scrolling shoot'-em-up located on the planet of Chronos. The aim of the game is standard; shoot the enemies approaching you and avoid crashing your spaceship into the landscape. There is a range of enemies on each level and some of them aren't easy to avoid, but the game itself is rather slow and boring, and the monochrome graphics only serve to add to this. The sound effects are nothing special either.

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5

The team behind this mediocre platform game based it around a traffic warden who made their lives a misery – really! Playing it made me miserable as well. You control Chubby Gristle, the fat traffic warden, and you must collect as much food as you can before dinner time. The main reason why I don't like this game is that it totally lacks any semblance of originality; it's just another collect-the-objects platform game and has no merit at all. Neither the graphics nor the music are anything special, and it's too difficult, as well as being dull.

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4

Chuckie Egg
(A'n'F, 1985)

This is one of the all-time classics on the 8-bit machines; if you've never played this game, you don't know what you're missing! You basically have to collect all the eggs on each level within the generous time limit, and also avoid the blue flamingo-like birds – they are flamingoes, aren't they? The idea is rather simple, and the graphics may not be state-of-the-art, but remember the saying, "graphics do not make a game"? This is certainly true for this game; it's amazingly addictive and fun to play.

See also: Chuckie Egg II.

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8

Unlike the first episode, this game looks and plays much more like Jet Set Willy. There are many objects to collect and to use to open doors and solve puzzles. The rooms are more open than in the initial game. The game area is huge, with many ladders and stairs to climb. Visually, unfortunately, there hasn't been much change. Chuckie is really tiny and his world is nearly colourless. The gameplay is rather good but it's difficult to avoid the numerous traps and animals that patrol the rooms. You must be pixel-perfect to have a chance to see more than three or four screens.

See also: Chuckie Egg.

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5

Rodrigo Díaz, a gallant knight also known as El Cid, is searching for a scroll that contains a spell with the power to unleash Satan's hordes. You control Rodrigo, and you must find the scroll and give it to two men of pure heart who can neutralise the spell. However, you must find your imprisoned wife Doña first, and then you must find three other objects – a lamp, a bag of gold, and a key. There are lots of enemies to battle, which will reduce your energy and strength. Your energy can be replenished easily, but you can't replenish your strength until you find Doña – and as there are so many enemies to fight and she is a long way from your starting position, reaching her is very difficult. The graphics are lacking in colour and the sound effects are poor, and the game lacks variety.

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5