Previous Next

Wot? It's only eleven minutes or so since the First Leader Board was ushered out to a waiting public, and here's another one. Weird, huh, especially as it took so long for the original to make its way over from the Commodore. But let's not moan - Leader Board is still by far and away the best sportsim to hit the Spectrum and Access, the American company that created it, clearly knows when it's on to a winner.

So, no sooner have we mastered the first four courses when, tarantara, here are another four. And I can tell you - they're piggin' difficult! No nice wide fairways here, just ratty little islands poking out of the Leader Board ocean. On the fourth course it's hard going to avoid the watery vastness even on the Novice level.

Otherwise, though, Tournaments much the same as its illustrious predecessor - the same simple but infinitely subtle controls, the same graphics, the same Gary Player lookalike masquerading as you. The only change I noticed was that once you've taken a shot, the program no longer draws the new perspective on the screen - instead, you wait a little longer and flip straight to your next shot. It's slicker but somehow less fun.

And Tournament is not the end of it. In the next month or so we'll be seeing World Class Leader Board, which, like the most recent Commodore and ST versions, takes place on dry land, with bunkers, trees, the works. What's more, three of the four courses will be modelled existing courses with the fourth a sort of compilation course made up of some of the most difficult holes from around the world. Slobber drool! Can't wait for the ST version [You're fired! - Ed]. But for now there's Tournament. If I was going to be fair, I'd have to say it's for addicts only, but as that describes me perfectly I don't think I will. And it's still far less exhausting than the real thing. Me? I'm off to the 19th hole for a tincture. Set 'em up, barperson.

Lethally hard follow-up for Leaderboard addicts. Beginners beware, but Speccy Severianos should love it.