Okay, so at first it looks like just another Space Invaders-type shoot-em-up, but first glance is very deceiving. Right from the start there are differences, what with the innovative and humorous graphics of the spaceship gantry crane moving off the launching pad and an enemy saucer ship appearing. The object of the invaders, in addition to destroying your ground-based shooter, is to steal the five pieces of fruit on the Earth at the right of the screen.


There are several Bandits-inspired games such as Activision's new Spider Fighter. No matter. This one is the original and is both fun and funny. The shots you get off at the invading bandits don't sound like anti-aircraft missiles, they sound like someone blowing hard bubbles under a mountain of peanut butter. But laughs aside, Bandits is hard to learn and takes a lot of practice.


Your ship can use shields for protection but the shield uses up the fuel supply at a prodigious clip. The first screen of thieving invaders has three attacking waves. Get through them all and you graduate to a screen full of bouncing balloons called Nuisants that are trying to do you in. Get past this screen and you have to contend with the Torrents - Centipede-like invaders who also try to do you in and steal your fruit.


The one thing I don't like is the length of time it takes to start a new game. A lot of the program has to reload from the disk, which can take 10 to 15 seconds. But the game is definitely worth the wait.