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All-Star Cricket is a souped up version of Graham Gooch's Test Cricket which was first released a couple of years ago. The major improvements have been to the realism of the play. Further team lists have been added, as well as an England And Australia XI, you can now choose from the West Indies, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The World XI and an all time XI. The team squads contain all the names you would expect to see from the 1987 season.

As before, there are two modes of play: arcade mode and simulation mode - supposedly for the experts. Arcade mode is for those who like to get out there and give it some welly. Don't worry too much about style or technique, just give it a good tonk. But before you're let loose with the bat there are one or two other things to be taken care of.

The first thing you must decide is the kind of game you want. You can slog it out over the full two innings; unlimited overs, or alternative go for a limited overs match. Next you are asked if you want to practise. If you haven't played before, the answer to this question is most definitely yes. Otherwise, unless you're particularly fortunate or unusually gifted you'll end up losing ten wickets for no runs.

It'll take you about fifteen minutes to get the hang of batting, all that's required is that you hit the fire button at just the right time to produce the perfect stroke. Too soon and the ball will drop comfortably into the hands of an outfielder, too late and the diving slip fielder will make a spectacular catch. To help you get it right, a coloured square in the top left of the screen tells you how good your timing is; yellow means too soon, blue too late and red spot on.

Bowling is more straightforward. You can choose between a leg or off side attack just by pushing the joystick in the appropriate direction and pressing fire. When the bowler starts his run up, waggling the stick makes him put that bit more into it. The pitch can also be determined by firing when you want the bowler to let go of the ball, though he won't make the embarrassing mistake of hanging on to it if you forget. Of course, like the real thing, just because you decide to bowl outside the off stump doesn't mean that's what will happen. And during an actual game you will find that a bowler's effectiveness will diminish if you keep him on too long and tire him.

The mechanics of the arcade mode are exactly as I've described the practice. During an actual game the toss decides which side will bat first. Your view of the action is the same as you get on the TV - looking down the wicket from the bowler's end. Assuming you're batting, the bowler will automatically take his run up and bowl, then it's all down to you. At the end of each over you get a full breakdown of the score including bowling averages and, during the second team's innings the required run rate.

One nice touch that's been added is the option to view an option replay of a wicket, though sadly it's not in slow motion, and a digitised "howzat", though it's not the most excitable appeal I've ever heard.

Simulation mode would probably appeal to those with more of a tactical appreciation of the game, though I must admit I thought it was less exciting than arcade mode. If you felt like it having picked sides and tossed, you could sit back and watch an entire test match in simulation mode without lifting a finger. Those who want to take a more active role can influence the bowling - leg or off side attack, and force a more or less aggressive style of batting. But the key decisions in simulation mode are when to change the bowling and who to bring on.

The improvements Audiogenic have made certainly justify the game's re-release and it's well worth a look if you didn't get the original back in 1985. In addition to the improvements I've already mentioned the graphics seem to have been enhanced - the player's action is now more lifelike. There is, of course, something to moan about in every game and here it's the quality of the umpiring [Ken is not a Pakistani - Ed's note] they don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a bat and a pad. Apart from that, a first class game of cricket.