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Those in the know will be aware that Gauntlet II, now available on the C64 was more of the hit D&D coin-op Gauntlet with extra features like moving walls, acid pools, sticky ground and new beasties. This is true also for Garrison II, the follow-up to Rainbow Arts' well-received clone.

The major problem I can see with it is the close similarity it bears to its predecessor. Extra features aside, there's little in Garrison II to make you buy it if you already have Garrison I. Things might have been different had Rainbow Arts remedied some of the deficiencies of the first game. I'm thinking particularly of the way all the characters look the same unless you have one meg. Whilst you obviously know which character you have under control, and they have different weaponry, you can, when things get a bit hectic and you're bunched up close together, get confused.

A sequel, to me, means an improved and updated version, but RA haven't done that. Instead, they've produced more of the same, with different rooms and ghouls, but the same characters, speed and feel. That said, the game's original good points are still there as well, with good graphics, and a fair reproduction of the hectic Gauntlet gameplay. There are 128 new rooms, and a number of new features like stun tiles and lava pools mentioned earlier.

Unless you missed out on the first Garrison I'd find it difficult to recommend Garrison II. It simply doesn't offer enough beyond its predecessor and I have to admit I'm getting a little tired of this kind of game, even when it's this good...