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Now this could have been a really nifty game if the programmers had decided to make it scroll instead of using an irritating screen flipping technique. This slows things down and eventually becomes frustrating.

Xeno is basically a two-player ice-hockey game. The idea is simple. Just score goals! It comes with an imaginative cassette inlay which pretends to be a match program for a Xeno game. A nice touch, this. You can play against a friend or the computer. The two-player option is the best.

You control a blue or red round thing which you have to fire at the white puck in such a way to make it zap down the rink and into the back of the - well, it's not a net, more of goal area. You have an arrow cursor which you move around to select the direction of each shot.

The time you get to set up your shot is controlled from an option menu at the start of the game. Don't make the delay too long as it only serves to slow things down.

The action is smooth - but because of the flip screen effect your player can disappear off the main play area. Confusing at first this - until you remember the arrow cursor and twiddle your joystick to get back into the picture.

You can knock your opponent off the puck or even attempt to "snooker" him by placing yourself between him and the puck. So it's not all just zooming around blasting the puck up and down - there's a bit of strategy involved as well.

Each game is divided into four quarters - and you can set the length of each quarter at the start of each game. You can also decide on the computer skill level if you are playing alone.

Apart from the "flipping" screens another aspect of the game which gets a bit tiresome is the setting up each shot. Why can't you just control your player independently and guide him around the rink.

That would allow you get in a bit of tackling too! Xeno is a nicely presented and fairly playable game. Nothing to write home about - but at under £8, I guess it's not bad value. Play before you buy.