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Oh no - not another sports simulation! How can there possibly be room for yet one more game set around the green baize? I know that Steve "Interesting" Davis is the nearest thing to a national hero, but come on.

Well, let me just say the one word that will have every programmer and most games players rushing to buy this, whether they have any interest in sport or not - Orlando. Yes, the Beeb's most respected, most innovative coder has struck again - and with the most unexpected game of all.

We're used to his humour (Frak!), his shoot-'em-up deviousness (Zalaga), even his technical brilliance (Firetrack); what is new is a simple game, raised to a new level by good design, good coding and good taste.

What's the basic flaw with all snooker/pool simulations? Yes, they have none of the feel of the game, it's impossible to correctly judge angles and speed of delivery and the game is basically boring played via a keyboard. The answer? Go to 3D - provide the player with the ability to move around the table, move up and down, gaining new perspectives on the lie of the balls and being able to judge shots far more accurately. Not to mention the added interest this brings using either keyboard or joystick for equal sensitivity.

I'm a little hampered by a lack of documentation but have found lots of fun things to do in this game, through trial and error. There are five basic modes - a tournament game versus the computer (not as all-conquering as it usually is, thank goodness), a series of ten trick shots, a two player game, a good demo and a practice facility. Choose your event and away you go - the graphics are bold and move smoothly as you edge round the table, the balls can be given a fair degree of subtle play and it plays a fair game of pool which, if you don't know it, is more devious than snooker, more intriguing than billiards and less difficult than either to pick up and enjoy as a game.

Of course, the game suffers as the Beeb is incapable of drawing diagonal lines on the screen - they always step. However, Orlando provides enough features for this to be unimportant - most impressive is the way that the 3D view changes easily and smoothly as you change perspective; even more stunning when you shift position as the balls are in play and they apparently move in curves instead of straight lines.

Of course, it's going to be difficult to make those of you who dislike sports simulations and think that pool is a "common as muck" waste of time, enthuse. So I won't try - it's your loss. For my part, I'm enjoying the results of Orlando's ability, practising my trick shots and trying to win the knock-out competition.

Dave Reeder