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One minute there are no football games for the Electron, then suddenly there's two - or at least one available and one promised. The 4th Dimension scores first with its Arcade Soccer.

The game's main promotional features are that it is the only graphic football simulation available for the Electron and that up to 24 players are catered for. Thankfully, that doesn't mean 240 fingers and thumbs on the keyboard.

You can play a complete World Cup including 24 teams with computer, or human, players controlling some or all them. In one player mode you take on the computer-controlled teams, but with more than one player you may be matched against a human or computer team.

On loading the game you are presented with the first round World Cup match draws and a simple menu system in icon form. You can select which teams to control and choose to play a friendly challenge or cup match. It's advisable to play the first game as a friendly with the speed reduced to Slow so that you can get used to the keys and gameplay. For a friendly you can also adjust the skill of the goalies - to make sure you win I recommend a rating of nine for you and zero for the Electron. In the challenge and cup matches the skill is chosen at random.

The main play area, in Mode 5, is viewed from above with shirts either white or red, although the player who is on the ball flashes black and white. Normally you control the player nearest the ball, but you can flick between any of your players on screen by pressing RETURN.

Doing so if he is close to one of the opposition who has the ball results in a sliding tackle - the only type you get - and pressing RETURN when you have the ball kicks it in the direction you are facing. You can dribble until tackled or kicked.

The micro controls all the other players on your side, including the goalie. Apart from goal kicks you don't get to control his movement. While this works quite well it does mean that you can't change the player you are controlling while the goalie has the ball.

The ball is large and stays near the centre of the screen while everything else scrolls around it. All the obvious rules of the game are being adhered to, but I haven't been able to establish whether offsides are included. It is possible to play through the World Cup very quickly using the one minute each way option (it seems more like 45 minutes when you're getting thrashed 9-0 by the computer).

You can opt for up to five minutes each way if you prefer a longer game. Everything runs just as it should with first and second round eliminations, semis and finals.

If you are playing on your own I would advise not trying to run more than one team as you might end up playing against yourself! Only the full time scores are shown when two computer controlled teams play each other so you don't have to sit through every match.

Under the challenge option you play each team in turn until you lose. I haven't managed to progress very far, so I can't say what awaits the winner.

The graphics are as good as they could be, with garbage overwriting the top and bottom of the screen above and below the playing window. The sound is limited to a whistle, a ball against boot kicking effect and frying chips cheering and applause. You can switch off the sound, but I didn't find it annoying enough to use that option.

The game is very playable and you get a feeling of real involvement as you knock the ball into the corner of the net straight past the diving goalie. It's definitely one to play again and again, and if you can gather together enough friends it could make for a good day's enjoyment - and not a lot of games can do that.

This soccer simulation is in a class of its own - it's brilliant. The graphics are good and the gameplay is addictive and exciting.

My tactics - which worked most of the time - are to boot the ball up-field and leg after it as fast as possible. On gaining possession you can dribble it past the defenders and blast it into the back of the net. Recommended for all football fanatics.

Janice Murray