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No, this isn't the game of the group of the same name. There's not even a hint of hiphop in the music. But never fear, Probe have still come up with an extremely playable game.

Mantronix looks very Ultimate-ish. 3D diagonally scrolling graphics with lots of little bouncing, spinning deadly alien creatures to avoid and many objects to collect.

It might also remind you of Gunfright just a bit. But so what?

The basic idea is this. You are an interplanetary bounty hunter and your job is simply to hunt down wanted criminals. To help you do this you have a Mantronix - a well-armed law enforcement robot. A sort of Dirty Harrydroid. Anyway, at the start of the game you find yourself on the planet Zybor - the baddies' hideout.

Zybor is a sparse planet, populated by an advanced race of humanoids, who are programmed to protect four planetary criminals - called XTRO II, Ariel Head, Max Porka and Yokohama.

Many Bounty Hunters have tried and many have failed to reap the rewards and each has suffered the same fate - death.

Equipped with a sophisticated pulse laser and a Mk. 1 autoscan camera, your Mantronic can be controlled from your combat craft. While viewing the planet's landscape and transmitting the pictures back to your craft, it can also collect valuable items and enter into combat.

You must find and terminate the four criminals before their humanoids kill your Mantronix. However, the Mantronix must also find eight power cubes which are necessary to reverse the direction of conveyor belts and essential as fuel for your homeward flight.

Death is never very far away on Zybor and you'll need a cool head and a steady joystick to survive for very long when you first start playing.

Underneath the main play screen you see your score, lives left, the number of power cubes activated and a status readout about the criminal you are currently hunting on the right-hand side. This tells you his name, crime and how many credits you'll earn by bagging him. Another similarity with Gunfright.

If you yearn for the days when Ultimate created good games then this will provide a good substitute. Very playable, good value.