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Yet another gambling game! This one from Bug-Byte is a faithful representation of the American dice game 'craps'. Up to four players at once can participate; each takes a turn to bet and throw the dice.

Craps is a fairly complex game, with many obscure rules. I'll give only a very brief summary, although several pages could be taken up.

You throw dice and bet on the outcome. A casino's betting table is laid out in a complex pattern, with various bet types clearly marked in boxes. Several combinations of bets make all sorts or odds available.

The person rolling the dice is obliged to bet he will have a winning outcome. If a 7 oi 11 (called natural numbers) are rolled first, it's an immediate win. If you think that is very favourable, then rolling a 2, 3 or 12 (craps) will wipe the 3mile off your face. Any other number thrown, known as a point number, will mean subsequent throws are necessary to determine a win or lose. Here it becomes more complex, because if a 7 is now thrown, you automatically lose.

The betting options will drive you mad. The instructions left me more confused, so I ended up placing bets without a clue what they were for - sometimes I was lucky, other times not.

At the start of the game you can choose how many players will participate, and which characters they will assume. A screen then pops up showing your character and three opponents. There is of course also the croupier, who tells you what is happening at any stage of the game. The foreground graphics show the table with any bets placed and, when thrown, the dice.

There is a strange soundtrack with the game. I couldn't make up my mind what I should do to it - either take up my magician's garb and do conjuring tricks, or grab the nearest young lady and waltz away.

It is a pity the cassette inlay was only slightly altered before being used for the Amstrad. There is no 'Megaloading system with Speech', nor do the suggested keys work. To help you along, these are the correct keys and what they do:

It is amusing to watch the figures in action: the hippie whose glasses fall down his nose will constantly readjust them, for example. Their eye movement is exceptional, giving them a very shifty air.

This is another game that is nice to look at and listen to but unfortunately is spoilt by having such a complex betting system. It does get boring.

Once I'd discovered the playing keys and tried my best to understand the rules, there was revealed a good gambling game. The characters are quite entertaining at first - they have to be to keep you interested. You'll have to work hard to get to grips with ail the various betting areas. Once you have, this is a tough realistic simulation.

P. Nice characters, with amusing antics.
P. Merry music to accompany your betting.
P. The cassette cover is rather interesting.

N. Instructions are misleading and wrong.
N. Play becomes boring and repetitive.