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Now this is tantalising and frustrating, and not for the easily discouraged. Master Mariner is written for the 48K Spectrum, and, as the title may suggest, it's about shipping.

You are Captain of a sailing ship called the 'Titan Trader' and you have to sail from one port to another carrying various cargoes which you have to buy and sell. Of course, it's not that simple as you have to contend with other factors.

First you have to borrow money from the finance company so you can buy your cargo, as well as paying harbour fees, wages and the dreaded income tax, plus a host of other charges which crop up in the game.

As well as handling the financial side, there is, of course, the sailing side of it. You don't actually sail or steer the ship on screen, you just type in your destination and, by clever graphics, watch your ship sail out of the harbour. This isn't as easy as it sounds because en route you may meet pirates or run into bad weather and even lose all your cargo.

You have a choice of cargoes which you can carry and prices are different at each port. So, if you bought arms in London and sailed to Liverpool, you may find they are cheaper when you get there and so you will lose money if you sell them!

The graphics are well drawn but are only there for your amusement. Great game, this - one I can recommend to anyone.

Note: The editor is a sneaky fellow. After I wrote this thinking it was a full price game, he tells me it's one of the new cheap range series! In this case, it's fantastic value for money.