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Blagger is a gem of a platforms and levels game. A blagg being a robbery, your task is to rifle the safes - one in each room - of the house. To crack them, you need a series of keys which are dotted around. In each room is a weird assortment of twisting, whirling bits and bobs; phones, skulls prams, trolleys... you name it! Using keyboard or joystick move left, right or jump.

The demo mode reveals all the rooms, and the standard of the graphics. The yardstick in games like this tends to be Manic Miner for the Spectrum. Undoubtedly, this is superior, with great detail and multi-coloured moving objects. Strangely, even with its sophisticated graphic scren, Blagger did display a hint of flicker with some objects in certain areas.

The best is yet to come however; the music is magnificent! Rag time pianola a la Scott Joplin; a masterpiece of syncopation. Interestingly, the music slows down when the demo screen changes. Even so, there's still a challenge left for an echoing zap as you bite the dust yet again!

This isn't an easy game, but once the bug bites you, you'll keep at it. I suspect you'll need a joystick to get into the hi-score table. Very addictive, and if you haven't heard what the sound chip on your CPC can do, then buy this for starters. You won't be disappointed even though the concept is rather worn and the price, typically for the CPC 464, rather over the top.

D.M.