It sounds corny, but "they've done it again". Yup, the boys in that other dimension have come up with the biz yet again.

Arcade Soccer uses an overhead view of roughly an eighth of the pitch at a time. The player sprites are small but acceptable and the sounds of the disgruntled victims of tackled men are sampled.

Up to 24 people can adopt international teams and play the World Cup together, but the computer can fill any gaps if you don't have enough chairs to go round! You always control the player nearest to the ball but sometimes there is mass confusion if six of them all leap on the ball at once!

There's a wide range of ways to play Arcade Soccer, and this allows you to 'clone' real arcade football games or those from other computers. It can be sunny, rainy or complete havoc. Thunderstorms lash the players and rain makes tackling a very slippery business. You can also adjust the swerve factor on the ball to an extent where kicking it sends it flying round in circles! You can even play football in the desert, at night, on a green pitch or in black and white! A real boon is the action-replay when you score a goal.

The referee whistles but keeps out of sight and there is no hope of fouling or being sent off. Offside has also been omitted. However, what do exist are good corner-kicks and throw-ins. The computer is a good pllayer and uses its resources in an effective way, making a worthy opponent. The goal-keeper is always computer controlled but is usually quite sensible.

There is a radar scanner showing the positions of players but the one you're controlling is not distinguished from the others, so it is near impossible to use, putting you at a disadvantage to the Arc team.

Overall, I have no real complaint. Arcade Soccer is a worthwhile addition to any collection - coins, stamps or games!