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Back in the early days of arcades, there was a two-player maze game called Wizard Of Wor. In it, you and a pal trogged around the screen, ducking behind corners and blasting nasties. And now someone's done it all again in 3D and called it Xybots.

Spook! As Ace Gunn (chortle) and Rock Hardy (guffaw) the two of you have to zap your way through each level, collecting keys to open doors and coins to buy extra weapons. What lifts this above the usual two-player shoot-em-up is its 3D viewpoint. The graphics are nothing more than adequate, but the head-on display gives a new twist to being ambushed!

The only problem is that the scenery doesn't scroll towards you, but flicks as you approach. Early levels are straightforward enough, but later mazes get seriously twisty and, as bullets zoom along until they hit an obstacle, you can get into trouble from miles away (if you see what I mean). Part of the fun is of course the co-operation between Ace and Rock (splutter) - the usual tactic is for one player to amble on ahead as bait, with the other popping the bad guys as they're drawn out. Each player can zap the other so, if you find a quiet stretch of corridor, you can have a brill shoot-out!

Overall , this is about as good as no-frills blasting gets. Simple design, snappy execution and enough playability to frighten the electricity meter. Just like Wizards Of Wor, in fact. Progress, eh?