LucasArts Classic: The Entertainment Pack review

Long before shoot-'em-ups rocked the gaming world with their realistic graphics and sound, there was a time when gamers demanded a little more mental stimulation.

It was the heyday of the point-and-click adventure, and the undisputed king of the genre was LucasArts. The Classic pack lets you relive those glory days.

In the oldest of the group, Sam and Max, you take two private eyes on a hare-brained journey across America. Among other tasks, doggy detective Sam and his deranged rabbit buddy must track down a Bigfoot that has run away with a circus freak. Moments of genuine hilarity ensue, and although the game is showing its age, it's challenging and great fun.

Grim Fandango is the best of this excellent bunch. You play Manuel Calavera, a salesman in the land of the dead, who sells travel packages to dead souls wishing to get to their eternal rest. Filled with sharp dialogue, fiendish puzzles and a fantastic bebop soundtrack, Grim Fandango is the finest adventure game ever made.

If the life of a biker is more your thing, Full Throttle will get your engine revving. You step into the boots of Ben, the leader of a biker gang called the Polecats. Full Throttle is the weakest game here. Its stabs at arcade sub-games never really hit the mark, and the adventuring aspects lack that frisson of excitement that keeps you coming back for more.

The final game of the set, The Dig, is based on an idea by Steven Spielberg that proved too expensive to film. After stopping a giant asteroid from colliding with the earth, Boston Low and his team set foot on the asteroid's surface, and are transported to another planet where they discover the remnants of an ancient alien civilisation. Despite the game's primitive graphics, the gameplay is faultless, and the puzzles fit effortlessly around a gripping storyline.

Each game has its own distinct feel, ranging from serious sci-fi to comic craziness, and you'd be hard pressed to complete even one in less than a few weeks. Great value, great fun and a potential cure for braindead gamers.