SOCCER fans who fork out for this package get three things for their money. Firstly, there's a booklet about soccer and the world cup.

There are also two programs, one on each side of the cassette. The first is a database of facts about the world cup. A menu allows you to choose a country, or a particular series, and examine the fortunes of the teams.

That program also contains a quiz option with three levels of difficulty. You can play on your own or against a friend, and your score depends on how quickly you answer the questions. The quiz is fun - easy to begin with but quite tough at the top level.

The second side is more interesting - a game called World Cup Manager. You must select your team from a squad of players, with percentage ratings for strength, stamina and skill. Once that's out of the way, the match starts. The first half is boring.

The second half of the game is played as a couple of arcade mini-games. Depending on your success in these two games, you may be awarded further goals - or concede them to the opposition.

There is simply not enough variety and challenge to make the game really exciting, and a world cup game with no excitement is a bit like Miami Vice with no designer jeans.

Chris Bourne

Publisher: Macmillan Price: £8.95 Memory: 48K Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair

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