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In Space Command it is your objective to defend the domed city for as long as possible against the hordes of aliens whose sole purpose in life is to destroy you. You know the sort.

Once the game gets started, you are presented with the display, which apart from the aliens never changes throughout the game. The lower portion of the screen is taken up by your city which is protected by a force field. As the aliens hit the force field it becomes weaker and eventually reduces its range. A hit by an alien on an unprotected area costs you a life.

Although the city looks good and is well coloured the remainder of the graphics are poor. You can have one of three spaceships, ranging from a space shuttle-type to what looks like a green fish, none of which are spectacular.

There are a variety of aliens from an uninteresting asteroid storm to an attack of Mutant Cornflakes, and although they scroll across the screen smoothly, they occasionally jerk as they descend. Your laser beam is a straight line and the explosions are too fast to be effective.

Sound during the game is substandard, consisting of beeps and bangs for shooting and explosions.

Not being able to move diagonally makes control of your craft extremely difficult. Another complaint is that level 1 is far too difficult for a beginning stage. The chances are you'll die of boredom before reaching the second.

Virgin have produced one or two good games, but this does not rate amongst them. Space Command isn't worth the time it takes to load.