A single pearly tear wells in the eye of a caring newscaster as yet another body of a ravaged child is pulled from the debris of a shellshocked building in war-torn Sarajevo. Angry defiant women converge on news cameras, asking in the name of God what kind of person would do this... and why? The camera pans around to reveal the remains of an army barracks on the Ulster border that still smoulders as the dead and wounded are rushed away by grim-faced paramedics.

While the Democrats and republicans continue to smear their respective parties, each one looking more stupid by the day, the inhabitants of a small suburban town in an unfashionable state of the USA mourn the relatives and friends lost by the deadly combination of a madman and a gun. Without a doubt there is a lot of violence on our planet, and the world of computer games is no exception. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to review an adventure promoting piece and harmony? Or a nice little program specifically designed to reunite the whole population?

Nah, it'd probably be dead boring - spend a good few hours finding your way through the various levels, earning bonus points for being polite and handing out food percels only to be confronted by the end-of-game boss who's doing everything in his power to avoid being presented with the bunch of flowers you brought them.

Team 17 think so too - that's why those kindly (and slightly mad) gentlemen who brought us Alien Breed and the stonking Project X have decided to let Sting and Bob Geldof concentrate on saving the world, while they get on with the task of producing murderous romps - this time in the form of Assassin.

You will be informed at the outset by the excellent sampled speech that the evil Midan, whoever he may be, lies deep in his underground lair, and that it's up to you to go in with, er... boomerang ablazing, destroying his cronies and finally taking out the chap himself. Coo, sounds a bit of a challenge.
Well, that doesn't bother you much - after all, you're an assassin. So in you go like any brainless hardcase should, hanging casually off the bottom of a chopper and chewing a match while tattooing yourself with a rusty spoon.

Once behind enemy lines you are alone with only the aforementioned boomerang to ward off hideous death by a hundred various methods. It's actually quite a good weapon- not like those crappy things rich relatives bring back from Australia that have a lower return rate than dirty books from a library.

Although quite weedy to begin with, plenty of power-ups are scattered around the levels that give it extra strength, speed, length of travel etc.

Beginning in the forest after dropping from the chopper, your assassin is met by gun-totting nasties who seem a little confused as to where the trigger on their weapon is. After approaching angrily and looking just about ready to use your leg as a toothpick, they lose all enthusiasm for their task and proceed to prod you meekly with the barrel of their guns.

It's a different story with the dogs though - they just won't let go and are absolutely determined to make your trouser leg their own. The sounds are dead realistic too - oud barks and nasty flesh-wrenching noises that made me want to go and hide behind my mum like I used to do when I saw a dog down our street.

Now that I'm on the subject I must say that all the sound effects are as indeed as the graphics - big bold-as-you-like sprites on colourful and detailed parallax backgrounds. The end of level bosses are awesome, using some of the best graphics you're likely to see in this type of game.

Assassin-dude is a pretty impressive guy too. He can run like the clappers, jump like a jack-in-the-box, hang from ceilings like a monster and stick to walls like a... like a... erm, thing that sticks to walls really well.

As well as the trusty boomerang, you can collect Mega Weapon power-ups throughout the whole game which allow you to wipe out hordes of gits at one go.

Each level is set progressively further into Midan's lair, until you eventually find yourself in the horrible labyrinth. People to watch out for in particular are the doctor who just wants to give you a little prick, the skeleton geezer and probably the last working miner in Britain.

You are probably aware by now that Assassin is far from an original concept in gaming, however, with top notch graphics, nice FX, difficulty settings and a choice of how many lives to begin with. It's an extremely appealing product nevertheless and should make fans of arcadey adventure-style shooty-uppies very happy for a good while.

For most of us the word 'assassin' conjures up an image of a black-clad figure, silently creeping through the corridors of power in order to murder some unsuspecting politician. Team 17's latest release, though, puts you in charge of a boomerang-wielding maniac who's intent on making as loud an entrance as possible through the victim's front door.

Bulging with steroid-induced muscle, the Assassin has to seek out and destroy a 'tyrant of the highest order' called Midan. The game begins as the Assassin is dropped from a helicopter into the midst of Midan's guards, from which point he needs your help to fight his way into the villain's underground lair.

Here is where the fun starts. The programmers, Psionic Systems, have searched for a new approach to the platform game and come up with this questionable idea of boomerang tossing. Dispensing with firearms, they've given him a small, curved piece of sharp-edged steel (an 'ab-orginal' idea, I thought) which may seem insufficient for slaying Midan's armies. In fact, any soldier laughing at your Crocodile Dundee-like appearance is dispatched with a quick flick of the wrist once you've upgraded your weapons.

Boom-boom-a-bang
Rolf Harris jokes aside, the boomerang idea works well, once it's been beefed up. Difficult opponents, when they die, drop tokens which can be used to widen its flight and make it more powerful until eventually it's whizzing all over the place wreaking havoc.

However, the game's difficulty level is reminiscent of Team 17's last venture, Project X, which means you've got to work hard, or cheat, for your enjoyment. A few extra machineries of destruction are at your disposal if you can find them. These are called Megaweapons and include such destructive devices as heat seeking missiles and psychotic androids that you are expected to use mercilessly.

Midan's guards deserve pity. They're the first people you meet as you infiltrate the base and can be found in a variety of interesting positions. They're also very stupid, prodding you with things once or twice before walking away, which apparently constitutes death. Their dogs are far more annoying, having the sense to continue biting until you turn into an ashamed spirit (much like in First Samurai) ans ascend into heaven, or waggle them off.

A staggering 200 frames of animation create the main character alone (as the box raves) which becomes very obvious once you start playing. He skips fluidly all over the place, and scales obstacles in an equally lifelike manner, swinging from electrified cables and tree branches one minute, climbing ladders and piping the next - the variety of puzzling obstacles to negotiate is huge.

Wait until your billy boils
The themed stages are well complemented by mysterious sound effects. Few people, though, are going to see all of the 1,500 screens which make up the game, which is a shame since the artwork and sound are excellent throughout.

Several hours of fascinated play time with Assassin leaves you saying to Team 17 'Come one guys, we're only human!' Then again, hidden delights are scattered all over, which help you on your way, so the game becomes easier, and more enjoyable, with time. Boomerang throwing won't be behind the next generation of platform games, but it's certainly worth tying your Kangaroo down, sport, and going out and buying this.

There are many good fighters, but few top-ranking contenders. Many fall broken, battered and bruised by the wayside in their attempt to get to the top. But a small number do make it to the world arena - some through the amateur ranks, others on the streets, brawling and prizefighting. If you were to ask a member of the boxing fraternity about such fighters, they might well tell you of Sugar Ray Robinson and Marvin Hagler, both World Middleweight Champions. Both were in a class of their own, but at the top there was only room for one./p>

In the world of Amiga console-esque fight-'em-ups many, too, have come and gone. Some reach the Amiga from the sweat and bustle of the arcades, while others have been created solely for this, the most uncompromising of game machines. Like Hagler and Sugar Ray, they all have one goal - to be the best.

Leander and First Samurai were both 'able' contenders in the highly competitive field of wannabe Mega Drive games.

To survive such fierce competition, a game must have something special. Assassin's creators, Broadhurst and Dalton, brought you Dojo Dan, so they know the genre well. Team 17, publishers, see Assassin as their 'best creation to date'. But is that, in itself, good enough?

Assassin does have all the standard features of its genre - colouful, energetic graphics, multiple scrolling, lots of collectables, and an end-of-game baddie. And for inspiration, just for a change, we're not in a world of ninjas and samurai - Assassin looks to the Aborgines of Australia in several ways, not least the choice of an armoured boomerang as weaponry. (But don't ask what the others are. - Ed)

You are the assassin, living in a land torn apart by the abuse of the evil tyrant, Midas. He hides deep underground in a highly complex lair system. World security demands that his evil reign be ended. One man is needed to enter the lair and destroy him. A highly versatile and athletic hit man, you're dropped behind enemy lines. You must now end the reign and survive to tell the tale.

The game is made up of five different levels, with an unrelenting flow of baddies and evil in all shapes and sizes. Your adversaries vary from snipers and mad construction welders to killer robots and pit bull terriers. The pit bulls introduce themselves at the beginning. They're bound to bring a tear to your eye as they use the elements of surprise and terror - you never know when or where they're going to attack you. It's almost as bad as the real thing, but you'll be damn glad it isn't when you see where they grab you. Blood spurts out between their vicious jaws and it takes some shaking to get them off. For an enemy to be so convincing in any game is some achievement. I defy anyone to be attacked by these vicious creatures and not cringe!

The strength of your enemy will depend on the skill level you've chose, which you'll find among the endless options at the start of the game. Each of the three skill levels, Rookie, Arcade and Ultimate, are designed for different player abilities. In Rookie level you can only see the first two levels, but this enables you to get used to the game structure within the confines of an easier time limit.

In Arcade mode you begin with three lives by default and play the complete game. Ultimate provides the toughest mode, rewarding you with the highest bonuses and strongest enemies.

Coming back to that Antipodean factor there's also a Boomerang selection mode, offering manual or automatic options. In manual mode you can select the effect of any boomerang power-up by firing at it with your boomerang. You'll earn such power by destroying an enemy and collecting the round capsule that remains. To change the effect of the power up capsule, you simply shoot it. Alternatively, in automatic mode it's impossible to change effects, but this does make a much faster game.

Even at the beginning of this game, then, you'll find that its variety and scope seem limitless. Another source of variety is the choice of lives on commencing the game - one, three or five. Greater bonuses are given for starting with one life, less for three and none if you start with five.

Assassin's energy system is very sensitive - you'll find that an uncontrolled fall will drain your energy just as much as a bad hit from enemy weaponry. Just as enemy strength varies, so too does the amount of boomerang power needed to kill them. Much destruction can be wreaked with your boomerang, but different enemies will require more hits than others, and in some cases a very precise strike will be needed to secure a kill.

Your aim is to get as far into the base as you can. You'll begin after being dropped by a helicopter in the woods. Fighting your way through the woods, you'll eventually reach a dome shaped building - the entrance to the lift shaft, level two. Make your way down the lift shaft to the construction zone. Here you must deactivate the crane to get into the third level, missile command. After reaching the launch computer enter into a mutation of flesh and evil doctors. If you manage to overcome the green putrid poisons and legless vomiting chimps, you're nearly there, but level five is no straightforward affair. Quite the opposite. It's Midan's labyrinth, and here you'll be treated to some Terminator-like beasts and weird chanting. Finally you'll get to meet Midan himself - you'll be both shocked and surprised. I promise. Assassin is nothing if not unpredictable.

As if the enemies and obstacles of each level weren't enough, there's a time limit too. Once a time limit is reached your assassin will really need a guardian angel over him, as reinforcements and stronger enemies attack him.

Like any good console style fight-'em-up, Assassin offers you a wide variety of power-ups and collectables. Stars are just one example - there are loads to collect on every level. Get 99 and you'll be rewarded with a bonus life. There's so much to do in this game - at times it all seems too much.

Each level is packed with a variety of bonuses, and with so much going on it's possible to miss almost all of them (if you really try). You must search for these hidden extras. As you progress, power ups and collectables will enable you to gain more agile boomerangs, but that's not all. You'll score points bonuses, time bonuses and ultimately you'll build up special 'Mega-weapons'. You'll find these in the form of capsules in secret locations, which appear after you've destroyed a seriously BAD enemy. You can also find 'continue' bonuses, which enable you to continue the game from where you finished previously.

So that probably gives you some idea of the game's complex, but endlessly playable structure. Now you're probably wondering how the whole thing handles. My answer to that is simple - sweet asa nut (whatever that means). Everything is joystick operated, but within three modes.
Firstly without the fire button pressed down you control the assassin's movement around the scenery. He will interact with all scenery grabbing hold of anything to climb or swing from. It's this climbing and swinging action that will bring comparisons with Strider and First Samurai, but that's all there is to compare.

The movement is both smooth and powerful and the effort needed to control and activate the character's movements is minimal. General handling and controllability is very impressive - by pushing the joystick diagonally when your character hangs by his arms, a somersault can be performed resulting in a leap to the edge above. Holding the fire button down activates the boomerang in the direction you're facing. Boomerangs can be fired standing, crouching or hanging. If you've collected any of the pods press and hold the joystick button to access the impressive 'Mega weapons'. Look at the bottom of the screen to see which weapon is highlighted. Precise detonation can be achieved by holding the joystick up - this pauses the detonation. The handling and control are possibly the most satisfying aspects of Assassin.

With so much in there, it's impossible to cover it all, but the artwork and animation can't go unmentioned. Wild, innovative, brash and crude, they shock, impress and blend perfectly with Allister Brimble's sound effects. It all comes together to give Assassin a wonderfully tense atmosphere.

More than anything else, its sheer size and unpredictability will hit you. You never know what's going to get you next or where it's going to come from. Assassin performs with the arrogance and showmanship of Sugar Ray, but packs a punch like Marvelous Marvin. It's perhaps not as tight as, say First Samurai. But this is Team 17's finest moment yet.

Take a small man, any small man and drop him behind enemy lines from a helicopter, or perhaps an aeroplane, with a parachute of course, otherwise he'll die upon impact with the ground. Call him Assassin (politely, or he might kill you) and ask him to single-handedly take-on a vast force of evil hidden beneath the earth's soil. There, you've got the plot for a game.

Roger (that's what I call the little man) is armed with a deadly Pulse-Laser - an excellent device for dispatching the fiendish fools. In the original version, poor old Roger had nought but a boomerang so he's mightily pleased with Q for providing the new equipment.

Assassin Special Edition is a shoot-em-up on platforms (Roger wears silver boots though) and you roam underground collecting a variety of pick-ups and blowing away Robo Walkers and other bad dudes. Gold star collecting brings fruitful reward; get 50 and you can activate a Mega Weapon; collect 99 for an extra life.

The sprite moves fluidly, jumping around in a similar fashion to a breakfast show fitness host and with three difficulty levels you can gradually take on a tougher challenge. It's not wildly sophisticated action but it is incredibly playable - our beloved Ed removed me from the hot seat and assassinated merrily for two hours.

The original cost ß26 so an improved version at ß1 would seem on the face of it to be a good buy. And it is.