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After several somewhat disappointing games, Mirrorsoft's latest release is a breath of fresh air. The game is Tetris - apparently designing in Russia (the reason for the picture of the St. Basil's Cathedral on the box), and it combines absolute simplicity with total addiction.

The idea of the game is to manouvre coloured shapes into as tightly-fitting a mass as possible. Each shape is based on an arrangement of four little squares. When the game begins, you are presented with a box-shaped area into which the shapes fall. By moving the shapes left and right, and by rotating where necessary, successive layers of sqaures are built up. If you manage to form a complete line of squares across the playing area, the whole block of squares drops down by one and you are awarded extra points. Blocks fall at a varying speed depending on the current skill leevl. More points can be scored if blocks are forcibly dropped into place.

As the game progresses, things start speeding up and you soon find yourself pressing all keys possible in total panic. By the time the blocks reach the top of the playing area, you need lightning reactions to maintain control.

There is no sound to speak of, the graphics are crude but effective and there are few 'frills' - no pause key for example. But there is something about Tetris which makes it impossble to put away, it keeps me up till the small hours every time. It's the best game for the Beeb in ages. I can guarantee that after a few minutes with Tetris you'll be hooked.

Rob Miller