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Emlyn Hughes International Soccer is a football simulation game which combines excellent graphics with easy but highly enjoyable gameplay. Although Emlyn Hughes is noticeable by his absence, it has that certain Liverpool ex-captain's touch of class to it.

Having loaded the game, a menu comes up with a list of players on the squad, eleven of which you pick for your team. There is also the choice of team, I picked England, being a patriot at heart and allowed the computer to be my opponent, although for those of you who have friends there is the option of playing a fellow creature.

Having spent some time weighing up the pros and cons, I decided my players were ready to take on Scotland in an England v Scotland friendly contradiction in terms - but apart from a few fouls both the players and crowd were impeccably behaved. The match was fast and furious full of goal mouth incidents and end-to-end stuff (mainly because the mid-field players were not on form) in true British tradition.

The Scottish defence (i.e. the computer), was impenetrable and after a close five minutes of the first half the score was 0-0.

It was at half-time that I fell in love with the game. All the players go scuttling off the pitch like rats fleeing a sinking ship, while the crowd cheer and boo, being a fickle bunch. Then they all come streaming back on, having sucked on some lemon quarters, looking fully refreshed.

Things took a turn for the better in the second half as far as England was concerned. Boy Greene drove a marvellous shot home which streamed over the keeper's outstretched hands.

The crowd went wild, jumping up and down in their seats, blowing whistles and hooting hooters.

There was nearly as much atmosphere generated as there is at a real football match but without the hooligan element.

The final result was 1-0 to England, I had broken Scotland's defence while maintaining my own.

Someone has obviously spent a great deal of time compiling this game. Everything you can think of has been included, even down to the minutest of detail. The name of the player in possession appears at the top of the screen accompanied by notification of a free-kick, a throw-in, a corner or a goal-kick. My only bone of contention is the actual size of the playing pitch, which takes up a mere quarter of the screen, but it is a minor niggle as otherwise the game is excellent, and the graphics and sonics are bright and sharp.

Emlyn Hughes is a marvellous way for the less energetic of this world to play football.