Wanted: a censor who can wield assault rifles, grenades, shotguns and missile launchers.

New Zealand censors are struggling to police violence and sex in computer games because they don't have the skills to reach the top levels. Working under legislation requiring all the content of a game to be viewed in order for it to be classified, head censor Mr Bill Hastings said his staff spent hours conquering each game and looking into every virtual option.

It is impossible to apply the law to this medium.

"If I bought a computer game and I could play the whole thing in say three, four or five hours - I would be ripped off."

Options to resolve the issue included requiring importers of the games to supply "cheat sheets" to cut through each level, or hiring expert shoot-'em-up game jockeys for the censors to watch play. A legal change is also planned to allow censors to base their decisions on a general impression of a game, rather than having to view every nook and cranny.