Stage Five starts off reasonably peacefully.. high above an enemy fleet below - Layer Section-style- and out of harm's way for now. A kind of calm before the storm..

You soon realise that this level is an utter and complete nightmare.. the ravine which you are patrolling is brimming with rapid-firing alien hardware! Take out these ledge-bound gun turrets by blasting the TNT (skull and crossbones) for a bit of temporary relief (inset - top left)

Hectic is not the word! Everyone and their dog is out to get you here.. sometimes the screen is so jam-packed with enemy bullets from various angles you wonder if you'll ever make it past the stage..

The canyon section seems to last forever.. but you finally make it to this town where rail-based tanks appear along with more gun turrets. That green spaceship is a sod.. sprays you with bullets and takes ages to kill..

Yikes! All of a sudden the ground errupts and out pops this huge gun-toting train boss. Made me jump first time it happened too.. ;)

Words cannot express how much of a git this boss is. The whole thing is divided into about four sections, each brimming with enough firepower to toast a small country. This is the first section.. you have to take out each and every gun turret to proceed. Dying here means back to the start..

Another section pits you against these blue zappy things.. while being harrassed by the gold flying.. er.. object (top left) which nicks your ship if it catches you. It's true..

Finally you make it to the end section after a battle of Titanic Lance proportions. I actually had to resort to the two-player cheat here 'cos it was so hard. I mean look at all the stuff it flings at you. Tsk tsk.. most anti-social.