Most of these compilations tend to have some kind of a 'common theme'. So how about this one? Presumably Domark would have us believe that all five games are 'dynamite' or 'explosive' or something, but I have my doubts. Perhaps it's 'having an apostrophe at the end' (which would account for two of them) or 'being slightly crap' (ahem). No, in fact the connection is that all five are Tengen coin-op conversions. Exciting, huh? I don't think so.
    
Hard Drivin'
It is hard drivin' actually. What we've got here is a conversion of one of the most awesome arcade games ever (in the world). It's a solid 3D 'driving simulator' where you get to drive some sports car around one of two tracks extremely quickly.
    So is it any good? Well... erm... David thought so back in the March issue, but I'm not so convinced. The graphics tend to disintegrate a bit (although this doesn't affect the gameplay too much) and it's blimming hard to control the car. And it does get a bit boring. All the same, Hard Drivin' is very 'sought-after', a huge technical achievement and a game well worth having.
    '90 Rating: 81°
    
Toobin'
"Join Biff and Jet, the tube-dudes, as they cruise the baddest rivers in and out of this world... the coolest game on the streets today." Fat chance. More like a Codies Advanced Inner Tube Simulator if you ask me. You've got to paddle part of a tyre down a river and get to the end as quickly as possible. There are lots of obstacles to collect and/or avoid and baddies who fire at you from the banks and need to be clobbered with tins of spaghetti. Nope, this is pretty rough stuff - in fact, its only consolation is that it tends to get lost amongst the rest of the compilation. Next!
    '90 Rating: 59°
    
APB
Right, this time round you're a cop (called Bob) who's got to cruise the streets in his patrol car picking up felons. You've got a certain quota to fulfil each day, and your chances are increased when you get an APB (which stands for 'Aroma of Peanut Butter', I think). This means that you've got the opportunity to hunt down an especially naughty crook who'll need to be interrogated by waggling your joystick from side to side.
    Graphics? Nothing startling - monochrome, weedy but very scrolly. Sound? Annoying. Playability? Lots of it, once you've got the hang of what's going on. Worth having? As part of compilation, certainly, but it's one of the less desirable titles in the box.
    '90 Rating: 70°
    
Dragon Spirit
This is probably the best game of the bunch. You're a dragon (spook!) who flaps his way across a vertically-scrolling landscape for no obvious reason. In the course of your travels you come up against an assortment of shooting thingies, so it's just as well that you can shoot back.
    There are land-based baddies, such as snakes, which need to be bombed, and flying ones, like the Formation Pterodactyl Team, which are best shot down. Oh, and let's not forget those Iovely add-ons.
    Apart from a few minor problems, like icons whizzing off the screen without giving you a chance to grab them and getting sent back to the start every time you die (nngh!), this is a very passable shooter.
    '90 Rating: 83°
    
Xybots
And the last one. This is the oldest of the collection, dating from last year's August issue. And it's the third-best, I reckon. It's a maze game where you (and maybe a pal) have got to dash around and shoot robots. You're a robot too actually. The screen is split down the middle, and there's a communal map at the top. Visually it's not going to break any records, but Xybots is an enjoyable enough romp with plenty of violence.
    '90 Rating: 78°
    
Okay, out with the calculator. (Clonk.) That's five games (prod, prod) at £14.99 (prod, prod, prod) which works out at (prod) £2.998 each, which is (prod, prod, prod) 8p more than an average cheapie. On the whole this lot are better than budget games though, so, mixing in the good with the bad, we've got an all-right deal. Worth a look.

Ratings given by other magazines

6/10

Info supplied by the SPOT*ON database

YS Cross-references
		APB - All Points Bulletin/Domark	YS43	FUT
		APB - All Points Bulletin/Domark	YS46	75
		APB - All Points Bulletin (in The Winning Team)	YS66
		Dragon Spirit/Domark	YS45	FUT
		Dragon Spirit/Domark	YS46	83
		Dragon Spirit (in The YS Complete Guide To Shoot-'em-ups Part I)	YS55	UNR
		Dragon Spirit/Hit Squad	YS73	67
		Hard Drivin'/Domark	YS47	FUT
		Hard Drivin'/Domark	YS48	PRE
		Hard Drivin'/Domark	YS49	90
		Hard Drivin' (in The YS Complete Guide To Driving Games)	YS59	84
		Hard Drivin' (in Wheels Of Fire)	YS60	84
		Hard Drivin'/Hit Squad	YS75	62
		Toobin'/Domark	YS39	NEWS
		Toobin'/Domark	YS47	FUT
		Toobin'/Domark	YS49	60
		Toobin'/Hit Squad	YS70	82
		Xybots/Domark	YS42	PRE
		Xybots/Domark	YS44	80
		Xybots (in The YS Complete Guide To Shoot-'em-ups Part II)	YS56	UNR
		Xybots/Hit Squad	YS71	92
Some info from Sinclair Infoseek+SPOT*ON