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This is one of the most addictive games I've played in a long time. Beach Volley is as simple to play as it is gorgeous to look at - and by simple I don't mean easy, but brilliantly straightforward in idea.

The origins of beach volley lie in California. All you need to play it is a net, two teams of two players each, and, of course, a sun-kissed stretch of sand.

The game has both one and two-player options, and the rest is simplicity itself. First of all, you or your opponent serves, knocks the ball over the net to an opposing player, who passes it to his team mate, who lobs it back over the net, then the process is repeated. A flashing symbol indicates the spot where the ball will land; the ball can only be touched twice when it's in your possession; and the first team to score seven, with a margin of two, wins. And that's it...

Apart from the fact that Beach Volley sets a furious pace, and you can get to do close-to-the-net smashes, volleys from the rear of the court, and you can play bluff with your opponents. I love playing table top football - Beach Volley's similar in that you instinctively know what your next move should be but are your reflexes up to the test?

The graphics are really quite enchanting, in particular the animation sequences which link each level. Every game takes place in a different country, and the links take the mickey a bit; so, for instance, you'll arrive at Hawaii on a sailboard which has been strapped to a sea serpent.

The title screen has been drawn like a page from a teenager's comic. The programming for this game was done in France and it has the look of a Frenchman's idea of what the perfect American 'yoof' should be like; so thank God that it wasn't programmed in America, or we would've got the Waltons.

And that's it, apart from to say that Beach Volley has a jolly nice soundtrack full of rock 'n roll and other popular noises and that you really ought to give this one a go. It's got nice big sprites, dayglo colours, and it's actually rather good.