Goddamn the pusher! Dinamic, the action specialists from Spain, have extrapolated the current drug crisis forward into the year 2003 and what they see is bleak. One fifth of the entire world are addicts and the drug czars have immense power. The Narco Police are the answer to this problem, and their solution is final.

Three teams of heavily-armed troopers are sent into attack an underground-island drug lab. The team are controlled individually and are viewed from behind as they run down the cave tunnels. When one gets blasted another steps up to take his place a few yards back down the corridor. You can swap between the various teams and choose either to take one unit on or work all three groups as an overall force.

Shot in The Dark
The soldiers are simple folk. Once you've stopped off at the weapons shop and been directed to a tunnel, they just plod along doing what you tell them to. Until they fall over dead that is, after being shot, which isn't their fault. They follow the stick movements every way except backwards - this is used for changing ammunition - and for changing ammunition - and therefore cannot backtrack.

Firing is controlled by pressing the fire-button whilst moving the joystick to aim the gun. All pretty normal really, with you waving the gun in the direction of the druggie. All the other weapons and equipment are used via a 'type-in' computer panel. This control every from launching missiles to teleporting in extra NPs.

The boys wander the corridors trying to find the elusive CPL (Central Processing Laboratories) and are constantly surprised by hordes of guards, automatic gun cameras and laser trackers. All these have to be blasted out with different ammunition. Occasionally they change upon machine-gun nests, tanks and doors which require special treatment, but do signify the end of a section.

Walk Like a Man
It is not the shooting - which is delightfully loud - and the mapping that makes NP so impressive, but the fluid movement of the characters. Walking is seen from three, slightly different, perspectives, also the shoulders dip as the gun sweeps around and the NPs fly backwards, bloody gushing, when shot. Each frame of movement has been well thought out and animated, to create realism and heighten tension.

The computer the NPs carry is supposed to free the joystick for fighting and moving. Yet the 'computer' is very sensitive and typing errors earn an 'unknown command' message. This leaves you expect a missile, but nothing happens, very embarrassing and dangerous.

In the second stage the ordinary soldiers are replaced by hardened mercenaries. This toughness is not be sneered at as it ensures hours of play, but it's only for the determined and not just thrill seekers.

Narco Police requires repeated playing at first to find the right route and then some hard blasting to make it through. The correct munitions must be selected, the right tunnels chosen and all the battles won. Backed up by great animation and sound effects the Narco Police should be shooting for the top.

Companies often try to work shoot 'em ups in with strategy - most of the time this fails. Narco Police, however, manages to combine the most popular styles of arcade games with a highly convincing strategy element.

The Narco Police, as the name suggests, are a drug enforcement unit. Equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, their purpose is to do battle with drug barons in the by now quite standard not-so-subtle manner.

To thwart the world drug problem once and for all, the NPs are planning to storm, via the tunnel network beneath it, the main drug cartel's island fortress. A twenty strong unit of heavily armed police are to infiltrate three of the five tunnels, which eventually lead to the main HQ.

The assault force is divided into three units of five men, with five units in reserve. Each unit uses computers to unlock doors, allowing the others to advance. It's possible to control fifteen men simultaneously, so you command the lead character of one group, with the other units held in 'storage' until you access them.

The tunnel graphics are built up in strips. This allows the screen to update smoothly with a good 3D effect. Used in Afterburner and Powerdrift, this technique has never been exploited to its full potential. Alas, it's the same case here. This slows the game, which is a shame as speed would have made a good product exceptional. However, the graphics for the police are excellent. The large, well animated figure adds immensely to the overall effect of the game, as do the size of the enemy troops you face.

A third of the screen is taken up by the command computer. This is used to switch between units, or to check on personnel status, set explosives, use missiles or to call in reinforcements. Above the play area is a group of status windows. These outline the physical shape of the team member currently being controlled and tell you what type of ammo he's using.

Don't worry if this sounds a bit stuffy, the arcade element is incredibly violent and fun. Had Narco Police been slightly faster it would definitely been a screen star. As it stands it's an enjoyable, thinking person's shoot 'em up.