C'mon you micro!

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One minute there's no full price football games for the 8-bit BBC Micro and then suddenly there's two - or at least one available and one promised. And it's Fourth Dimension that gets the lead with its Arcade Soccer.

One of its main promotional features is that you can have 24 players, but thankfully that doesn't mean 240 fingers and thumbs on the keyboard. You can play a complete World Championship with 24 teams and have one player per team which means a maximum of two players at the machine at one time. You can use either both with joysticks, both on the keyboard or one each.

Booting up the disc presents, on the left, the group tables for the World Championship initially containing the basic groupings for round 1 with the name of the team, player's name - only three letters allowed - goal difference and points. On the right are a list of function key actions plus the current option settings in icon form.

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 game play. For a friendly you can also adjust the skill level of the goalies - to make sure you win I recommend a skill of nine for yours and zero for the micro. In the Challenge and World Championships skill is chosen at random.

The main play area is viewed from above with shirts either white or red, although the player who is on the ball turns black. In addition you can box him by pressing T just before any kick-off - I found this much more useful.

Normally you control the player nearest the ball, but you can flick between any one on screen by pressing Return.

Doing so if he's close to one of the opposition who has it results in a sliding tackle - the only type you get - and pressing it if you've got the bail punts it in the direction you're going. You dribble automatically until someone tackles you.

The micro controls all the other players on your side including the goalie. You never get to control his movement but you do specify when goal kicks are taken. While this works pretty well it means you can't change the player you're controlling while the goalie has the ball.

The ball is very large and stays more or less in the centre of the screen while everything else scrolls around it. All the more obvious game rules are implemented, but I haven't been able to establish whether off-sides are included. I don't think so.

It is possible to play through the World Championship very quickly using the one minute each way option - you can go all the way up to five minutes which is certainly enough for a game. Everything runs just as it should with first and second round eliminations plus the semis and final. Once the winner is established you have the option to print out the complete results table.

If you are playing on your own, I'd strongly advise not trying to run more than one team as you might end up playing against yourself, which is quite impracticable. Only the full time scores are given where the micro plays itself so you don't have to play through every match.

Under the Challenge option you play each team until you lose. Unfortunately I've not got this far so I can't say what awaits the winner.

The graphics are probably as good as they can be, as is the sound which is limited to the whistle, a kicking the ball noise and frying chips applause. There's also a cheery tune at some points. You can switch the sound off but I didn't find it annoying enough to do that.

The game is very playable and you do get afeeling of 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 if you've enough friends it could make for agood day of enjoyment - and not a lot of games can do that.

Teri Paul