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On the back of a box only slightly larger than a hardback novel, the blurb announces Pass Go as 'similar to a well-known board game, where property is bought and sold'.

The board in question, along with banknotes and green houses, is illustrated on the front cover, and unless you've been brought up by wolves in a remote forest, you'll know exactly what they're referring to.

Despite all this, and the game's title, you never do pass Go or collect £200. One to nine players move around a circuitous route where the familiar streets are replaced by a series of shops and hotels, as well as jail, chance, tax stops, and so on.

The bank initially owns all the property, and charges nominal sums if you land on them. Arrive at the pet shop, for example, and you're obliged to spend £40, whether or not you want an animal.

If you're lucky, the bank will offer to buy the property, but this is not automatic. If you do, you will collect substantial monies from others landing there.

In addition to property dealing, players can play the market for gold, land, or shares, the prices of which fluctuate from turn to turn. If you land at the market, why not buy land if the price is low? This, and the fact that a salary of indeterminate amount arrives randomly, means that your assets are constantly beyond your control.

Other things are different as well. Instead of going to jail for three turns or paying a fine, you may find yourself committed for five turns, and let out on good behaviour after two. If you are in debt, the bank will lend, but if the debt escalates, the bank will strip your assets systematically, without any chance of deals with the other players. Also, cheating is right out!

The object is to gain as much property, and thus as much payment, as possible, and to speculate on the commodities market, until everyone else is bust.

Your position and an inventory of your finances are shown each turn. But best of all, is actually taking the turn itself. This is where Pass Go excels. In what looks like a red taxi with your name on the side, you actually drive along the street and see the various sites roll past.

It's a strange pop-art town the action takes place in, where, for example, a ski shop is a pyramid with a flag on it, and Chance is a huge revolver which says 'Click, Bang!'.

Your drive is accompanied by an infectious, fruity tune. This is fine if you feel like celebrating success, but it's positively sarcastic if you're doing at all badly.

The trouble with the original board game is that if you have a few assets early on, the system is true to life, and you gain more and more. If you have initial bad luck, you're discriminated against, and then it just gets worse.

In Pass Go, this is accentuated, because your choices are narrowed. You can find the all-powerful bank taking all the decisions for you.

The two games are different, but the same obsessional competitive qualities dominate. This is good, and the graphics and music of Pass Go will give you a good ride for your money.