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The Bulge: the Battle for Antwerp, is a computer wargame designed to introduce beginners to the fascinating field of wargaming.

The game is based on the Germans' last offensive of WWII which resulted in the famous Battle of the Bulge.

Either one or two players can play the game and can choose whether to command the American Allied forces or those of the invading Germans. Once the selections have been made, the game begins.

The battle is fought on two maps which are toggled by pressing a single key. The larger strategic map shows the entire area with the terrain displayed as coloured squares and the opposing forces by standard wargaming symbols. Players should consult this map to get an overview of the game situation.

On the second, more detailed, map, the wargaming symbols are replaced by pictures of the forces. For example, a Panzer unit is shown as a single tank. Moving the cursor over such a unit will display its name, type and current strength. To give a unit an order all you have to do is trace the required movement with the joystick and it will be issued by a press of the fire button.

The game is fascinating to play as commanding both sides gives to completely different challenges. The German commander must push his forces forward as quickly as possible before he runs into the historical fuel problems. Meanwhile, the allied player must try and hold the Germans despite being initially outnumbered.

The cassette is supplied with a comprehensive manual which will explain to a beginner the significance of the types of units available, the effect of terrain, the importance of allied air strikes and of course the effect of the weather.

The book is nicely complemented by an animated introduction to the game that graphically shows the movement of forces that lead up to December 16th 1944 and the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge.

Finally, it's interesting to note that both the Commodore 64 and Spectrum versions of this game are available on the same cassette. This is an increasing trend for software houses as it obviously cuts costs.

Both an excellent introduction to wargaming and an interesting challenge for those already converted.