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Tynesoft's latest release is Summer Olympiad, one of the most beautifully polished and presented Olympic simulations since Summer Games II. The only problem is... it's too small, with only five events to challenge the player. Still, what you get is very good.

First off is the skeet shooting. There are seven stations positioned in a semi circle around a field, and at either end of the ring are the skeet launchers. Using a crosshair, you have to aim your gun in the general direction of the skeet and try and hit it before it drops to the ground. Your figure is positioned in the centre of the screen, and what a big fellow he is too; fully animated as well. As you swing the crosshair around the screen, he swings his gun, which is smooth and very realistic.

Then you've got the fencing. Two large and well-drawn opponents line up with each other, salute, and try and see who can stab each other first. The computer opponent seems to have the edge over you in the respect that he knows the exact distance to stand to give you the sharp end of his foil. As before, the graphics are great. I particularly liked the crowd in the background and the two TV cameras that track your every move.

Next is the triple jump. Viewed from behind, above and to the right of the runner, you have to try and get his speed up to maximum and at the appropriate moment, hold down the Fire button to achieve the perfect jump.

No onto the diving. This is done in much the same way as the cliff diving in World Games, except that you now have a lot more control. Using different joystick directions, you have to make your on-screen counterpart twist, flip and tumble, as well as making him straighten out just before he hits the water. As usual nice big graphics and smooth animation.

The last event is the hurdles, and after all the others, it's a bit of a let down. Waggle your joystick to get the man to run faster, and then fire to make him jump. At least the 3D update is smooth.

Summer Olympiad is a great game, but lacks the lasting appeal that makes it worth the asking price.