CDS has produced a very restful game with this version of Pool. The program is a joy to use. You control a marker which moves around the cushion, position it correctly, press ENTER and the white cue ball will move towards the marker's position.

The strength of the shot can be adjusted on a scale of one to five. By striking a ball on the side it is possible to make it go off at a tangent, as in real pool. A realistic sound accompanies each shot.

A number of changes have been made to this version. There are six balls, three red and three blue, which can be potted in any order.

At the start of each game you have four turns. A turn is lost if you play three shots without potting a ball, if you pot the cue ball, or if you miss one of the coloured balls. If you put a ball, you are once more given three shots. A two player game is possible - play alternates after every turn.

The score for each ball potted depends on its colour, the number of shots taken and the frame number.

The alterations made may disappoint the pool purist, but they make for an interesting game.

S.E.