The Spectrum Book Of Games, a clearly printed well labelled compendium of game programs by three authors, M James, SM Gee and Kay Ewbank, is a witness to the unfortunate truth that good computer programmers were not necessarily good inventors of games. Why else with so many games programs produced should Invaders, Asteroids and their variants still be as popular?

Each of the 21 programs are well written and while lengthy are still within the range of the 16K Spectrum. Each too has been dumped from PRINT to ensure no listing errors, and by substituting for the ZX printer a clearly legible printout has been attained.

Accompanying texts include a structure of the subroutines used, typing tips, each of which remind the user to look out for the same things and equally worthless suggestions for future developments. "Save The Whale", for example, a program running to four pages in length might be altered by "adding a waterspout to the whale that was printed at every otehr move", personally I preferred to "Save The Effort".

Of the games themselves, I enjoyed "Mighty Missiles" and "Bobsleigh", both variations on old favourites, and a new one called "Guideline", a development of the game in which a metal hook is guided along a wire without allowing them to come into contact and hence cause a buzzer to sound. Spectrum Invaders was repetitive and tame, with no battlements to defend or hide behind and no bonus points on offer. Of the others, "Mirror Tile", a tile puzzle with an infinite number of solutions and "Capture The Quark" have been transformed successfully to Spectrum and were probably the best.

Throughout, the graphics were of a good standard and the sound is used to great effect, no more so than in "Spectrum Ledger" - a simulation horse race that starts with the computer playing the tune Camptown Races. Unfortunately the game deteriorates somewhat after this with the player asked to bet on a race of five horses. The result is totally random and requires no skill. For entertainment value the game, like the player, is a loser.

The Spectrum Book Of Games is written by Mike James, S M Gee and Kay Ewbank, published by Granada Publishing, contains 21 programs and costs £5.95. ISBN 0-246-12047-9.