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I have just met my Waterloo, or to be more precise, I have been re-playing the battle of Waterloo, one of two campaigns simulated in the new Battlefields package from BBC Soft.

The other simulation included is based on the American Civil War. Both are games for two players, who control the opposing forces, and each game is likely to last as much as two hours. I was unable to load the Civil War game so concentrated on Waterloo, though in general terms both games are similar.

Each player in turn is (secretly) presented with the dispositions of his various commanders and their latest intelligence reports. A map of the battle area is then displayed showing the locations of his own forces, and those of any enemy units sighted, and the player then gives his orders to his commanders. Fighting takes place when opposing forces meet, with results based on the relative strengths of the units involved.

If you're into history and prepared to spend the two hours or so to play one of these games, this package may be of some interest. I felt that a good idea had been lost in a mediocre implementation poorly presented. Oh, by the way, history got it all wrong. In my version, Napoleon won!