Charon 5

After an odd start the scenario for this game is fairly standard stuff. Board the mysterious intruder, which is called – surprise, surprise – Charon 5, get captured by aliens, become trapped in a tight corner, blast your way out. There are some almost superfluous trimmings such as repair of damaged airlocks and control circuitry, but they are really a euphemism for yet another scrolling shoot-'em-up.

According to my juvenile psychologist I am supposed to be a superior thinker with quick reflexes. Clearly I am neither, judging by my progress so far. The circular ship, known as a HUMAN – Highly Usable Manoeuvrable Android – is viewed from above. It moves across a rather boring landscape, almost completely devoid of detail. Only occasionally do these channels open out into rooms where the nasties lurk. They generally look like small balls of cotton wool and are fast, evasive and can take several direct hits before they are destroyed. The consequence is that it is only too easy to get blown up within a few seconds of starting off. Unfortunately the methods of control needed to do this are very complicated and frustrating. You need balletic grace with the joystick.

The most serious condemnation of Charon 5 is that it does not look like an Amiga program. It could easily be mistaken for a competent CPC or C64 offering. The plot is tired, the means of progressing beyond the first screen obscure, the graphics uninteresting and the colours dull.