Soccer Stars is billed as being the ultimate soccer compilation. Arsenal reckon they're the ultimate football team too, so we know not to believe everything that we read.

Sadly, there are a couple of games here that shouldn't have even made it out of the dressing room, along with two veritable top players.

Who are the teams? Kick Off 2, Gazza 2, Microprose Soccer and the very impressive Emlyn Hughes international Soccer which, when I started playing, had me instantly hooked. The detailed of pitch and players makes play excellent as does the number of options. There are so many! This has got to be the best soccer game that I have seen in my entire meaningless life.

And onto Kick Off 2. The ghostly sprites are diabolical to control! I had a horrid time playing with the only good thing about the game being the lots of different options to choose from.

Moving on swiftly to Gazza 2 where the tears never stop flowing! (Hand me a Kleenex Garth) There are so many different things you can do in the game that it will keep you amused (And possibly addicted forever.) Control is easy and your sprites are clear - the opposition though are ghostly 'half sprites' to make the game faster, and more than a little bit spooky.

Microprose Soccer was a major disappointment. Too few options (although the 'banana kicks' are pretty cool) with two types of pitch, normal and indoor. The graphics are detailed but the game itself is too easy; you can usually walk the ball into the goal and score which won't keep anyone amused for long.

Label: Empire Memory: 48K/128K Price: £11.99 Tape Reviewer: Paul Berry

Football has never been a good subject for the Spectrum which two of the games, Kick Off and Microprose Soccer, prove without a doubt. If you can wait until the budgets come out then do so. If not, then Gazza II and Emlyn Hughes will take the sting out.