Devilish

Shades of Breakout and Arkanoid. This action game features both vertical and horizontal scrolling, with double - paddle action. In one - player mode, you can rotate the top paddle to hit the ball sideways, and use the bottom paddle as a backup. You can even put the two paddles at right angles for those fancier moves. The paddles operate independently in two - player mode.

We liked the graphics and the depth and challenge, and we scored it high on overall fun too. This one should keep you going for a while. We found the Game Gear version just as challenging.

Zombies stagger from the left. (Tic tic tic)

Gravestones fall from above. (Tic tic tic) A suspiciously familiar - look - ing Michael dances in the cemetery. But don't stop (tic tic tic) because your time is almost up.

It's Devilish, a fiendishly fun new Game Gear cart from the demons at Sage's Creation. Devilish plays like Sega's Woody Pop cross - pollinated with a pinball game and a stop watch.

Here's the set up: Jealous Gamma showers the kingdom with evil and turns the fresh prince and princess into paddles — a convenient curse, as you'll see.

Then a blue sphere, capable of destroying all the assorted devils, appears. You use the royal paddles — which move in eight directions and can tilt vertically and horizontally - to whap the blue sphere at the moving baddies.

Oh, did we mention there's a time limit? Dawdle and you'll forfeit a sphere. You need quick reactions, precision and patience to win this game.

You start off in the Graveyard. Save time by using the Warp Zones to bypass some blocks. This stage is relatively easy.

Next is the Under Passage where you'll run into Catching Holes, which eat up a few seconds of your valuable time. When a Catching Hole spits out your sphere, aim it right.

Also in the Under Passage, you run into the Demon, who looks like Batman's evil twin. After defeating him, navigate around a few blocks and shutters to sink your sphere. Stage three takes you under cascading Waterfalls that push spheres down.

The trickiest part is moving horizontally past the falls: aim the paddle to deflect the sphere left.

To finish the Old Castle, you have to get past the Snake Master. Keep the sphere on the right side of the screen. Then maneuver horizontally to sink it in the hole.

In the Prairie, avoid the Warp Zone on the right. It will force you down a very narrow passage with difficult angles. Do yourself a favor and take the left Warp Zone.

On to the Volcano with its tricky angles and a whole field of Catching Holes. Get through by directing the sphere to each Catching Hole. When the screen scrolls up, aim for the top Hole. Then up again.

Don't chill out in the Ice World. Time passes quickly here, so use Warp Zones to skip block busting and save time.

The Evil Temple is the longest and most dangerous stage. Take the first Warp Zone on the left to get through more quickly. When fighting Gamma, who looks like a cyclops crab, keep in mind that his eye is his only weakness. Keep the sphere near the top of the screen. Gamma's legs may disappear, but you still have more to go before he's beaten. Keep hitting and hitting until Gamma's completely gone. There will still be Bloody Wheels to get past before you finish.

Speed is important, but haste makes waste. Stay in control. You lose a sphere not only for taking too long but also when you miss.