I expected this to be a typical compilation cassette. Seven standard games, all described as "family favourites", written by a hobbyist and selling for a modest sum to compensate for below-average presentation.

Well, it wasn't quite like that. Soft Seven has more going for it than many other compilation tapes.

The programs are loaded in one go, with a menu depicting your choice displayed on screen. I was amazed that so much could be fitted into the Dragon's memory, and it's a big advantage to be able to select between programs by a single keypress, without having to reload.

The programs themselves aren't wildly original, with names like Galactic Bomber, Hear And Spell, Wordsearch, Graphix, Music Maker, Hangman and The Great Race.

Several do stand out, though. Galactic Bomber is an effective hi-res bomber game, which shows that a Basic game can still be fast. Hear And Spell uses the often-neglected MOTOR and AUDIO commands to play a hearing/spelling word game.

In conclusion, an ideal first tape for the new Dragon owner - the sort of tape that Dragon should have supplied with the machine, in fact.

C.G.