These two books each contain about thirty programs, mostly of about 100 lines. As such, they are pretty good value. Although the title says that all the programs are games, this is not so. Some are amusing graphics displays, something similar to the type that you'll find occasionally in Beebug, and other demonstrations of features of the Beeb.

There is even a chapter, in both books, about how to write your own programs and another giving a limited glossary of computer terms. These are only so much padding, especially as they appear identically in each book. The subject of writing programs is gone into in more detail and better in other books. Let's keep to the title.

All the games are simple. This is an advantage. A book with thirty-odd 500 line games may be very clever but it also rather daunting. These programs are short and sharp. The games are either thought games, such as Nim and a reaction tester, or very simple action games ('arcade' is too much an exaggeration). The action games are typically: simple invaders, frogger and the like.

None of these is going to make the local arcade fearful for its profits, but they do cram a reasonable amount of entertainment into a very few program lines. These books would make great Christmas presents for the very new owner of a BBC Micro. It's only a shame, really, that the titles could not have been more accurate.