In this game, you're battling it out with other cars in the race to win the championship. There are three stages, nine tracks and the hazards increase as you progress. If things are getting tough, though, you can buy some add-ons for your car, or if you have the money, you can get yourself a new, faster car – and in the later stages of the game, you're going to need to! The graphics are basic but do their job, although the sound effects are useless. This is compensated for by the excellent music, which is only available if you have 128K. The game is made better by passwords which mean you don't have to restart the first and second stages each time you play.

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Super Cauldron places you as Zmira, a good witch who respects nature. Her powers have been weakened by a curse that has been cast everywhere by a demon. Your task is to regain your powers and remove both the curse and also the evil demon responsible. Along the way, you collect spells that are stored in your book for later use, some of which allow access to otherwise unreachable areas. This game is a multi-scrolling platformer that pushes the humble CPC to its limits in terms of graphics and effects. It looks, feels and performs like a console game!

See also: Cauldron, Cauldron II.

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10

Get on a motorbike and race around twelve tracks, and reach the chequered flag before your time runs out. The first few tracks are relatively easy, but on later tracks, you'll encounter obstacles which you must dodge. Watch out for the other riders, who have a nasty tendency to try to bump you off the road or crash into you! Three of the tracks contain flags which you can collect to gain bonus points. This is a very enjoyable game indeed. The graphics are colourful, and you really get a feeling of speed as you fly past the scenery and the other riders. There are also three difficulty levels, although the lowest one is much too easy! Thankfully that's not the case with the other two difficulty levels.

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8

Based on a 1980s children's TV series, this offering sees you playing the mighty Super Gran – an elderly lady with super powers! Sadly, this game doesn't quite portray her too well. Some very large and crude graphics flicker along as you sit in your single-coloured flying bike taking out clones. If you play this any further, you no longer need this bike and see Super Gran in all her glory – a large, flickery sprite. The TV soundtrack plays during the game and even this is laughable. I feel sorry for anyone who owned this!

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Super Hang-On
(Electric Dreams, 1988)

Race across four continents, each divided into several stages, and make it to the final stage before your time runs out. You can choose which of the four races to compete in. Each one is located on a different continent, with Africa being the easiest course and Europe the hardest. Your motorbike has a turbo booster which you can only use when it has reached its normal maximum speed of 280km/h – you'd better hang on when you use it! Unfortunately it's not a good game. The graphics are ugly and colour is used poorly. The music which briefly accompanies each race is tinny, and the time limits are so tight that if you make the slightest mistake, you have very little chance of reaching the next checkpoint. This is not one of the better motorbike racing games.

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6

It's not easy being a god, and to prove your worthiness, your fellow gods have set you a challenge. The aim is to defeat five Guardians roaming inside a large labyrinth – but you do this by destroying their spirits, and they aren't located in the same rooms as the Guardians. Before looking for the Guardians, it's necessary to find four items – a pair of shoes, a bag, a hammer and a helmet – which enable certain actions such as jumping and carrying objects. It's an isometric exploration game, and if you're a fan of the genre, you'll instantly recognise the inspiration for this game. The graphics are very detailed, although the size of the screen is a bit small. However, although it's good, it seems to lack something in comparison with other games like it.

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7

New York has become a dangerous place in the year 2089. Crime is rife, and armed gangs of rival thugs roam the streets, killing each other and many innocent citizens. But who's this on the scene? It's Superkid! You have to fly around each level, restoring order by flying into the thugs. A lever at the bottom of the screen shows how much crime there is; if it goes too far to the right, you lose a life. Your aim on each level is to rescue children and to guide the pensioners safely to their rest home, preventing the thugs from killing them. The graphics and music are both good, but the game quickly becomes monotonous, particularly by the third level where it's a lot more difficult to help out the citizens.

See also: Skatin' USA, Superkid in Space.

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5

Aliens are threatening the Earth, and it's up to Superkid to save everyone. Superkid must travel to five of the alien planets and find four nuclear detonators so that he can blow the planet into oblivion. There are a variety of aliens which behave differently and which will sap your energy if you touch them or the bullets they fire. Fortunately Superkid has a gun and lots of grenades at his disposal, and lots of ladders which magically extend up to the nearest platform. The game retains the look and feel of its predecessor, with colourful graphics and cute (maybe too cute) music. It's also a better and more enjoyable game to play thanks to the smaller levels.

See also: Skatin' USA, Superkid.

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7

Darkseid, a powerful supervillain, has invented the deadly Omega Beam and aims to use it on the population of Metropolis. As people walk around, Darkseid tries to lure them into his underground mines, while Superman tries to prevent this. This maze-like game is a tricky one where you affect barriers along the streets to guide the citizens to safety. Power gems are also required to allow Superman access to these other screens where even more people wander around. The graphics are nothing special but move smoothly, with only a few sound effects added too.

See also: Superman: The Man of Steel.

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5

Darkseid is back, and this time, he's brought a friend – Lex Luthor. Together they are planning the destruction of all mankind! To make matters worse, Lois Lane is being held hostage by the same mad duo. The first stage places you in a slow and sluggish 3D shoot-'em-up, followed by a vertical scroller where you defend a Space Shuttle (which is better). The next stage sees you inside the satellite that is controlled by Lex. Throughout the game, Superman can make use of his various powers, but they all have limits. Pleasing and colourful graphics make this one an eye-catcher – but where's the famous soundtrack?

See also: Superman: The Game.

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