Deep at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, you must search for the lost treasure of Atlantis. Now, the Pacific ocean covers an absolutely massive area, and that's also the case in this exploration game. Close to the surface, there are few hazards, but as you dive deeper, you will encounter lots of coral reefs which bar your way, and sea creatures that must be avoided. You also need to top up your oxygen supply regularly. The graphics are stunning, but to be honest, the playing area is so phenomenally large, and the screens are so similar to each other, that it's not worth your while trying to find Atlantis. Sadly, this is another occasion in which the programmers concentrated on creating beautiful graphics, but forgot to include a proper game.

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A fairy has been kidnapped, so Pac-Man has to journey through Pac-Land to rescue her and send her back to Fairyland. The ghosts are also out to stop him, though; one of them has a 'plane to drop bombs on Pac-Man, and another has a car. However, if Pac-Man finds any power pills, then he can kill them. There are also lots of cherries to collect along the way for bonus points. The power pills also enable you to jump higher, although this won't help you when getting past the lakes; you must waggle the joystick instead. The graphics are really colourful and really appealing to children. The same goes for the cheerful tune which gets irritating after listening to it often – although the jingle that plays when you lose a life is sublime. The game is relatively easy but it's still good.

See also: Pacmania.

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It's another Pac-Man game, but this one's in isometric 3D and it's absolutely fantastic, although the graphics are in boring monochrome. Still, you'll find that it's a great game. Each section of mazes has a different theme depending on the difficulty level, and there are three amazing tunes which will have you humming away in no time. There are also lots of bonuses to collect. It's a shame about the graphics, as they could have been much better with some colour, but this game still rocks.

See also: Pac-Land.

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Pang
(Ocean, 1991)

Travel across 17 nations and burst balloons as you go! There's not much of a plot to this game, but each level is divided into three screens, and you have to use a harpoon to blast the balloons. However, they will divide into two smaller balloons, and the same thing happens if you burst these balloons! If you're not careful, you'll have dozens of tiny balloons bouncing about and you'll lose one of your six lives. This is a really simple and addictive game, and it's one of the very few games around that makes full use of the Plus' extra facilities. If it was that little bit easier, I would probably have given this game the full ten marks.

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Grand Dizzy's toy-making machine has gone haywire and Dizzy has been left to control it! Random shapes fall out of the machine and you've got to align them with the correct slots at the bottom to make the toys. It's a bit like those toys for two-year-olds where they have to work out which shapes fit in which holes. It's yet another game that only features Dizzy so that it'll sell, and this one's absolute rubbish. It's unoriginal and boring, although the younger ones might like it.

See also: Bubble Dizzy, Crystal Kingdom Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy Down the Rapids, Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk, Fantasy World Dizzy, Fast Food, Kwik Snax, Magicland Dizzy, Spellbound Dizzy, Treasure Island Dizzy.

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Panzadrome
(Ariolasoft, 1986)

The Panzadrome is a heavily fortified island guarded by robot tanks, and your aim is to destroy it completely. You begin with a poorly equipped tank, but there are factories on the island where you can upgrade it. However, you will have to get past armies of robot tanks and turrets and avoid any mines in your path in order to reach a factory – but achieving this is practically impossible. Moreover, all this destruction leaves craters in your way which your tank cannot drive over, and you could easily find your path blocked, unless you have some Polycrete to fill in the crater – but to obtain it, you must find the correct factory first! The graphics and sound effects are very poor and the game is far too difficult.

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Do you want to be the best prize fighting Thai boxing champion ever? Great, because here's your chance to take them all on in the ring in this game, which has been endorsed by André Panza. The fighting is quite smooth and the controls are very easy to pick up and learn. There are lots of different moves, and each time you make a good hit on your opponent, a yellow flash appears on the screen. You can choose from a number of different fighters and different opponents. As you win bouts, you get more money and are able to fight the better fighters and win trophies. The referee is quite good and keeps an eye on the game when you or your opponent's energy runs out, indicating that the match is won or lost. The cartridge version has greatly improved graphics and colour over the normal CPC version.

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If you were ever a paperboy when you were young, you'll know how ungrateful your customers can be. You've got to deliver your papers to all the houses on your street by firing them into the mailboxes and avoiding people, objects and cars. You also have to make sure you don't run out of newspapers, but more can be picked up on the way. If you don't deliver newspapers to any of the houses, they'll cancel their subscription. It's a very original game and fun to play, too, although it is slightly difficult. The graphics are quite good, but amazingly, there's no sound at all; apparently the programmer ran out of memory!

See also: Paperboy 2.

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Paperboy 2
(Mindscape, 1991)

Paperboy is back to deliver some more papers. However, this time, you can also play as Papergirl (so as not to be seen as being sexist). The neighbourhoods are a little strange, though; all the streets have castles in them! You'll also have to dodge the likes of skateboarders, bouncing balls, ghosts (!), and the obligatory workmen carrying furniture or glass. The game has better graphics and is much faster than its predecessor – in fact, I think it's too fast. It also makes crashing into things a frequent occurrence, and your six lives will quickly run out. In addition, you'll only hear any sound if you have 128K.

See also: Paperboy.

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Have you got what it takes to join the Parachute Regiment? Your strength and stamina will be tested to the limit in six events – the 100m sprint and 100m freestyle, the tug of war, weightlifting, target shooting, and rope climbing. Completing all six events wins you promotion, and if you fail three events, the game is over. If you haven't already guessed, this is a joystick waggling game, and I hate this sort of game. You can be promoted easily enough, but further promotion is much harder, especially if you have to use the keyboard.

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