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Q*bert copies are beginning to proliferate on the Spectrum in the same way as rip-offs of Pac-Man did twelve months ago.

With no less than three versions to choose from, we thought it was time C&VG told you which one to spend money on.

The original was an arcade game by Gottlieb which introduced the cute but foul-mouthed little character who had to hop from tile to tile on a triangular-shaped play area to change the colour of every square. Nasties like Coily, the snake, and a big red bouncing ball tried to stop our long-nosed friend from the completing his task.

Ocean's Pogo is the closest to the arcade original with the snake and bouncing ball - though in this version Coily is operating under the assumed name of Hiss.

The slow, looping hop of Q*bert has been faithfully recreated in Pogo and this is also the only version which makes our friend jump off the side of the pyramid when you press the wrong key.

Also hopping onto the bandwagon are Automata with their PiMan Q*bert game - Pi-Balled.

PiMan and Q*bert could almost be brothers with those unmistakable long snouts - a similarity that has not escaped Automata's attention as they include a bar-room scene in the game where the two share a drink.

If you like fast games, then this is the one for you. The PiMan can be made to move very quickly from square to square as he performs his Q*bert impersonation.

Like Pogo, this game features the spinning escape plates at the side of the pyramid which you can jump onto when the going gets really tough.

Spellbound from Beyond is the most original adaptation of the Q*bert theme introducing witches, spells and devils.

Despite the pretty graphics, this is the least playable version of the game. The little yellow devils are difficult to see and the tiles only partially change colour when landed on - making the whole effect less colourful. Spellbound also lacks the escape plates which are an integral part of the original idea.

Best buy. For my money Pogo is the best Q*bert-type game available for the Spectrum - and marks another success for Ocean who are really beginning to make their mark on the games business.

Pogo £5.90 from Boots, Menzies, Woolworth, Pi-Balled from Automata of Portsmouth at £6 and Spellbound from most software shops at £5.95.