Microdeal has been producing Cuthbert games for some time now, and there seems no end to the assortment of scrapes he gets himself into. The first few were merely arcade games with a more elaborate plot, but they have gradually become graphic adventures of increasing complexity. In the latest chapter in the saga, Cuthbert In The Cooler, we find Cuthbert trapped in a prisoner of war camp, in dire need of speedy release.

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The first screen shows an aerial view of the camp, and the task is to get the key from one of the guards and take it to the gate. The number of guards varies according to the difficulty level chosen, and ranges from two to eight. Cuthbert has to avoid the attentions of these guards or else they will shoot at him. Luckily, the bullets travel rather slowly, and he can avoid them and even cause the guards to shoot each other, so gaining extra points. Using the fire button speeds up his progress, but decreases the energy level.

If Cuthbert can reach the gate, he is faced with the problem of getting some identity papers from one of the guards and crossing a marsh to a bridge. Using a joystick means this task is quite difficult. The last screen sees him acquiring some money and taking a boat towards the border. The graphics aren't bad in this game, though not up to the most recent programs. Beyond the first screen the going gets quite tough, however, and you have to have very nimble fingers to reach the bridge safely. If you fail to avoid the guards, or take an early bath in the marsh, there are two more Cuthberts waiting in the wings to join the struggle for freedom.

This game has a fair amount of originality to it, but doesn't have the compulsiveness of Cuthbert in the Jungle (Still my favourite), and the overall program, although reasonable, isn't quite up to others in the series.