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Arcade games on the 48K Spectrum are still all the rage but it is difficult to find one to better the original. That is the case with Invasion of the Body Snatchas from Crystal Computing.

The name of the game may be different but the concept is still that of Defender. You must pilot your spaceship left and right over the alien landscape, shooting-down aliens, avoiding mutants if possible, and rescue refugees from certain death.

Sex equality has finally reached the Spectrum as the refugees are women as opposed to the men of the original. That is not the kind of equality most people have in mind, though, as the women are dropped from staggering heights.

The screen display is effective and, if you were to put the computer under the table, you would not know the game was running on such a small machine.

This time Crystal has added sound and it is very effective. You can, however, access the buzzing and zapping noises only through a Fuller sound box. That is not a deficiency in the program as, with the type of sound being created, you would not be able to gain a true appreciation through the tiny Spectrum speaker.

If you are sufficiently clever and quick-witted you will gain entry into the Hall of Fame. The high-score table is sure to gain notoriety as the program will trap certain names and phrases typed into it and output messages from Crystal Computing. It was distracting trying to find the names which put up the messages, though it was nearly as enthralling as playing the game.

Invasion of the Body Snatchas is an essential buy for all arcade fans. It can be obtained from Crystal Computing, 2 Ashton Way, East Herrington, Sunderland SR2 3RX.