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This is a most unusual game and one none too easy to describe. In the centre of the screen is a collection of grey sticks, the objective being to turn them all blue. When you've done that you activate a gizmo known as a Rotix, which has the effect of collapsing all the sticks on top of each other.

Mission completed, you then move to a new screen with a different configuration of sticks and do it all over again. And again until you've completed all the screens.

As well as the grey sticks, a number of bridges are spread around each screen. You use them to gain access to the sticks. However, because there are insufficient bridges to get you to all the sticks, you have to construct more bridges.

Carrying out all this construction work, and under your control, is a small roly-poly character called Zen which operates in two modes: magic and normal. In normal mode, Zen is yellow and will move left, right and up (the only way down is by falling), turning any grey sticks blue on contact. A press of the fire button puts Zen into magic mode, when he turns red and can move left and right.

A press of the fire button creates a bridge in the required direction or, if next to a blue stick, sets a Rotix (a sort of whirling line) into motion.

Pulling back on the joystick while in magic mode releases a cloud of magic dust to freeze the aliens. Oh sorry, didn't I mention them?

Well, any of the several blobby aliens which float around the screen will get stuck on contact with the dust. Zen can pass over them in this state and collect extra points. Contact with the aliens at any other time is harmful to Zen's health.

I also forgot to mention the flashing diamonds. These can be picked up for extra points. And there are bonus points for collapsing the blue stick matrix in one go. And one other small thing - there are 96 screens.

I really don't know what to make of Collapse. Top marks for originality unquestionably, but the graphics are only so-so and the abstract nature of the game doesn't really generate any excitement.

But credit where credit's due - Collapse is different, and that must be good news for jaded players.