ALIEN DROPOUT is a pleasant variation on the space invaders theme. A variation with moths! The idea is to blast the aliens as they descend from the top of the screen, the laser base moving in the familiar way, firing the familiar missiles. What's different is the way the moth-like aliens move. The master moth, who hovers in the centre, is indestructible until you've blasted some 200 of his minions. This is easier said than done as events tend to catch up with you making life (for you) and death (for the moths) more difficult.

On either side of the master moth are five boxes which act as staging posts for the minion moths. Here they collect on their downward journey, not pressing home for an attack on your laser base until there are five in a box. Your aim is to zap the moths before they fill the boxes. It's not easy, especially as the boss moth is laying down a column of fire that makes moving from one side of the screen to the other a trifle difficult, to say the least.

Eventually the moths make a breakthrough and you become more involved in protecting the laser base than in hitting the moths.

With six levels of play, good clear instructions and easy to use controls, it's a nice variant on an old theme that should appeal to young and old.