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At first glance Hobgoblin is an impressive and appealing sight. The game's title is sprawled across the top of the screen in great style and every spare millimetre has been crammed with colour, incorporating some great scenery.

On the gameplay front HoogobMn is very reminiscent of Ghost's n' Goblins. Taking the role of King Garath's only son Zanock, you have to travel the length and breadth of a land that has been overrun with ghouls, in search of the stolen Golden Orb which has brought darkness upon the country.

Well it's alright for old Garathy, sending out wayward members of his family to regain his kingdom while he curls up on his throne with a cup of Ovaltine! What's even more of a cheek is that he's only given his son an old penknife with which to vanquish the undead. Who needs family? Bigger and badder weapons can be found however, but they really have to be fought hard for. The speed in which your foe sprint towards you would put Ben Johnson to shame so the best course of action is to blast 'em as soon as you move onto a screen.

Scrolling is smooth as you'd want and graphics are lush as mansion houses. Colour has been used to great effect and gives the impression that there's more detail than there actually is. Yet the assorted ghosts, skeletons, flying fish(!?!) and bowmen are just too tough, even though extra lives are available and without a cheat most players will really get pigged off very fast indeed. Not the best gameplay I've ever seen, but definitely one of the prettiest.

Label: Atlantis Memory: 48K/128K Price: £2.99 Tape, N/A Disk Reviewer: Steve Keen

Fabulous use of colour and sumptuous backdrops abound. Let down by sheer toughness. Expect to be severely battle scarred when the lights go out!