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There are many versions of the boardgame Othello or Reversi around and this is a fairly standard one. The aim is to capture as many squares as possible by placing pieces and turning over your opponent's.

You have three options: playing against the computer, playing another person or watching the computer play itself, and you can choose either the black or white pieces.

There's not much fun in watching the computer play (except to learn tactics), with about 20 seconds delay between moves, and there's not much point in buying the game if you are mainly going to play against another person, so the value of this game lies in the ability of the computer opponent.

I found the algorithm used very difficult to beat. I suspect that it has been adapted from another machine, as at one point it tells you to press Return - but of course the Spectrum hasn't got a return key.

The instructions are clear but could have been laid out in a more readable fashion. Play is easy: you simply enter a two-digit grid reference and the computer wiU place your piece there if it is a legal move. If you think you cannot move, entering 00 causes the computer to check and to suggest a move if one is available.

N.W.