It's the game of the film of the comic! Dick Tracy on the Mega Drive follows the square-jawed detective in his fight to rid the city of 'Big Boy' Caprice and his goons, which naturally involves hitting the streets with a pistol, a Tommy gun, and absolutely no back-up whatsoever. It's essentially a platformer with some gun-play added in, but if you're expecting some fast-paced run-and-gun action, then forget it- Tracy doesn't roll like that.

For a start, the game's slow, almost painfully so. Tracy saunters across the screen at a leisurely pace, as do the gangsters, and this might make the game dull for some. However, not only is the speed a benefit (any faster and it'd be even more difficult than it already is) but more patient gamers can look past this to see the interesting stuff that Tracy brings to the formula.

For example, most levels have two different sets of enemies to worry about. As well as enemies straight ahead of you, you'll also be attacked by thugs in the background- holding down the Tommy gun button lets Tracy shoot at these background enemies, and you can even destroy windows and lamp-posts while you're at it. This is a neat spin on the genre, as it makes you feel like you're constantly surrounded, so you're always watching the background- are some thugs about to pile out of that parked car? Better shoot first and ask questions later!

There's also several level variations, such as stages where you're out of ammo so you can only punch, and others where you hang on the side of a police car to chase some gangsters. While the game cycles between four basic stage types, the change of pace every section keeps things interesting.

The slowness of the game might be unbearable for some, but persevere, and there's quite a lot to like about Dick Tracy. It adds some cool ideas to the mix and guarantees a challenge, so Mega Drive owners could do worse than give it a shot.