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If you have watched American Football on TV and wondered what the rules are, and that terminology.... then this is the game for you.

The software comes complete with a very comprehensive booklet which starts by explaining the rules and language. Did you know that a full team consists of 49 players? Only eleven on the field at a time I hasten to add! You will learn the meaning of blitz, clipping, chain crew, direct snap, hashmark and many other terms.

Those of you like me who can't stop to read the rules before attempting to play the game, will have found the tape and discovered that on Side 1, the program is recorded at 2000 baud, the faster loading speed. This is useful since the program is quite long. Don't worry if your computer raises an error loading from this side, just turn the tape over, rewind and load from Side 2 which is recorded at the slower 1000 baud rate. You will however, miss the excellent title page available only when you load from Side 1. After loading you will be asked to choose either one player (against the computer) or a two player game and then to name both teams. A coin is then tossed graphically on the screen to decide who kicks off.

Upon commencement of play the pitch is shown the top 2/3rds of the screen. Beneath this is a scoreboard, information section and prompt area. At this point I advise calling the 'help' screen which lists the two letter codes needed to instruct your team before the start of each 'down'. Enter your strategy and play commences...

Twenty-two miniature American footballers and the ball move about the screen in an amazingly realistic fashion, play usually stops after a short time and your instructions for the next 'down' must be entered. If your team is defending (not in possession of the ball) you will be required to enter defensive plays. The game is played in 'real time' i.e. 60 minutes of play divided into 4 quarters. As in a live game the total match time can be as much as 4 hours as the clock only runs when the ball is in play. So be prepared to make an evening of it! At anytime you can display the statistics of the game which tells you just about everything short of the inside leg measurements of the players...

To sum up. this software has been very carefully planned and written, the authors acknowledge assistance and advice from many experts in the field of American Football, plus a few more dubious credits that leave you wondering just what goes on up at APS...

The game follows the rules very closely and the graphics although unusual are fascinating. Definitely one of the better games available for the CPC464. I shall now watch the next Superbowl and understand what's going on.