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Another obscure Sega coin-op licence joins the growing rank produced by Activision over the post few months. Be the brave pilot chosen to fly the most sophisticated pleas of aeronautical technology ever created (the Sonic Boom) into enemy territory: six vertically scrolling levels bursting with deadly weaponry. And why? The usual domineering fanatic group have taken over all the military bases of the world. Wow!

Waves of aircraft rocket down the screen at you, ground-based gun hints and SAM sites blast away - weave to avoid them while trying to hit them with your rather ineffective weaponry. Thank god, some destroyed plane formations drop parachutes: red ones bestow spirit jets (a bit like the outriders from Scramble Spirit), whilst yellow ones supposedly increase firepower. Each level ends with a mechanical monstrosity to destroy: a top-of-screen meter gives the amount of shots needed to destroy it. That achieved, you're presented with your hit rate and bonus points and moved to the next battleground.-Sonic Boom - more sonic whimper - is a multi-load cassette that makes you wait for good mono graphics, clearly visible sprites but only average shoot-'em-up action not geared to set the world alight.

MARK ... 55%

'Yes it's one of my favourite game styles, a shoot-em- up, and of course totally unoriginal. It plays exactly like Slap Fight and Scramble Spirits: fly around the screen shooting everything coming towards you, collect the occasional power up icon to add extra super weapons or extra lives - you know the kind of thing. Small, neat sprites and highly detailed backgrounds all in the same monochrome colour plus OK sound with the usual 'boom' effects and a tune on the title screen all add up to a predictable production line clone.'