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"Get 'em!" Stark advice from the starting screen of Xarax. By my advice to you: Get it!

This is one hell of a nifty shoot-'em-up that deserves your attention. And at £2.99 it's a street-wise buy as well.

There's really not a lot to tell you about this game. The cassette notes are, to say the least, sparse: "Bomb and blast they way to the salvation of your world." Highly informative, I don't think.

But let's press on. You control a space ship flying over a vertically scrolling landscape. The inevitable flying aliens are soon proving right little pests.

The first wave comes whirling past in a sort of looping formation, fast and frequent. Matters are complicated by ground installations which deal death at you.

But fear not. It's not just your flying skills which will keep you out of trouble, although quick reactions are vital.

The spacecraft, which by the way, has eight directional movement, is equipped with unlimited laser power and bombs. The lasers can only be used on the airborne enemy while the grenades are more than enough to take out any ground-based problems you come across. Any they will prove to be problems.

The craft has a cross-hair sight in front of it which allows you to zero in for ground attacks with quite a degree of accuracy.

As you progress into the game, the installations become more complex. Instead of just one bolt of death heading your way, there's a whole barrage.

And that's basically the game. What makes it special is the price. In fact, in terms of quality programming, Xarax is a lot better than a lot of the full price shoot-'em-ups doing the rounds at the moment. God forbid that we would name names, but have you seen Go's Bedlam?

It's possible Firebird could have put this out at a higher price. But that's their blunder and your good fortune. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say.

Finally, congratulations to programmers R. Spahl and T. Gittelbauer. Xarax is a job well done.