Out to Lunch

Pierre le Chef needs help, and so will you in Mindscape's cute, but difficult, action/adventure game.

The Galloping Gourmet

The story is simple: You're a chef, and your cute little ingredients have run away. You travel through 48 levels over six countries trying to get everything back to make some dinner.

In a style of game play similar to Magic Boy, you must snag the groceries in your net and drop them in a cage for "safe" keeping. In each level, the sharp controls help you catch a specified number of ingredients, drop them in a cage, and find the exit before your time runs out.

Kiddie graphics carry the international food theme. Wheels of cheese, bouncing mushrooms, and gooey sacks of jello populate the landscape in Switzerland, the West Indies, and four other countries. The clever power-ups also lend themselves to funny animations and sound effects.

Chef Bored Are We

Unfortunately, this game is too challenging for beginners, and too boring for experienced players. Beginners, in fact, will be grateful that they can turn the perky music off after returning to the first level for the millionth time.

If you're a young, excellent gamer, you'll love this game. Otherwise, there's little here to send you back for seconds.