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You shoot using an overhead view, which reverts to a 3D perspective when played. The ball aim's cursor-controlled, and power's increased according to how long you hold the fire button - note the power bar in the corner of the screen. After flipping to 3D, put spin on the ball using the joystick, press the fire button and awaaaaaay!

If playing by yourself, you get five balls to play with, each of which is three shots. Fail to pot or commit a foul and you lose a shot. Alternatively, select tournament play where up to eight players play a league or knockout game (no, not a cue straight over the bonce, silly). A save game option is available, as are slow-motion and full-speed action replays.

Championship 3D Snooker is a damned good game. The controls are brilliantly set out, with a joystick option that's as easy as falling over when drunk. The options menu is clear and concise, and the one-player game system is excellent - a real improvement on earlier games where you just potted away until the table's cleared.

The graphics are brill - their strength lying more in what was left out than put in. On the negative side, the pink balls a shade too dark, making it difficult to distinguish from the reds and all the balls are a little ovoid in appearance. Still, they move about the table realistically, so who cares?

A couple of niggles. While the 3-D perspective makes great viewing the game would benefit from an option to turn it off, giving the player the choice of views to watch, and when the shot is played the game runs a mite slowly.

Nevertheless, these are minor gripes, and certainly don't prevent Championship 3D Snooker from being one of the best snooker sims ever on the C64.

Snooker might not be the world's most exciting spectator sport - it's a brilliant cure for insomnia. But that doesn't mean it's not great fun to play. It's a much more tactical, sophisticated game than pool with more safety shots and snookers (of course!) played. It's not all pot, pot, pot (not when I'm playing anyway!) and neither is this excellent conversion.

Remember American 3D Pool (also from Zeppelin)? Well, Championship 3D Snooker uses a similar 2D aiming system and 3D view of the shot - it works really well. And the presentation's just as good with a full tournament, knockout and league, plus great action replays and three camera angles. It certainly beats watching snooker on the telly - the only thing missing is the coughing audience!

Presentation 80%
Good array of options and shot action replays.

Graphics 75%
Not bad, but balls a little ovoid (that's egg-shaped).

Sound 60%
Doesn't really need that much - no coughing!

Hookability 90%
Fans of snooker sims will love it and so will you all!

Lastability 91%
You'll be banging your balls all night in your pockets!

Overall 87%