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Tetris and Columns must be two of the most famous puzzle block-esque games of all time. Tetris was absolutely huge in its day and was converted to almost every platform at the time, including the CPC, although arguably it is probably most famous for appearing on Nintendo's GameBoy console. Columns appeared on Sega's consoles in the early 1990s and produced several sequels and spin-offs. Taking the premise of both those classics Binary Sciences came up with Groops!

This must be one of the few games that I've seen available in so many different languages. On loading you can choose French, German, British (English) or Spanish. When the menu appears it also become apparent that the same attention to detail has been applied here. There are three main modes: Normal, Fast, with a Challenge section also available. You can even choose the Jukebox to listen to the great tunes.

When play starts you will notice that this is different from most puzzle games: all the blocks fill the screen from the start. The object of the game is to select the blocks in groups of similar items so they can explode, in a similar idea to Columns. The bigger the explosion groop, the more points you score. Exploding groops allows the columns of blocks above to fall down, so planning ahead soon becomes a tactical factor in the gameplay. The games ends when it is no longer possible to select a groop. Your score is displayed and if it is high enough you can enter your name as one of the best groopers, which is then saved to disk.

Graphics are very colourful and well animated. They seem just right for this type of game. The music is upbeat without being repetitive, while the sound effects are sparse but effective. But the most important aspect of the game is the addictive gameplay; as great and challenging as any other CPC game.

Achieve a high score and you can enter your name on the high scoring groopers table. This adds an extra dimension to the game as you constantly try to better the last score, using different tactics each time.

To further maximise the gameplay the game options can be explored. The game also comes with a Fast option which involves playing with a half-filled level but the scoring is more difficult. The Challenge section becomes available once you manage to gain high scores - this involves gaining high scores with randomly placed blocks. Gain a sufficient score and you are given a password for the next challenge. A great addition to an already excellent game.

The game doesn't come with eight disks, it doesn't have violence, the gameplay is simple, but as the saying goes "less is more," which couldn't be any more apt here. Yes, it's very Columns-esque, but it is different enough to stand out as a great game in its own right. Put away that shoot-'em-up or beat-'em-up and try using the old grey matter with Groops! You might even enjoy it.

The addictiveness of this game is undeniable. I found myself coming back again and again. One more try at beating that last score and topping that record of groops exploded.

Everything is top quality, from the presentation, graphics, sound, and gameplay; it all comes together to form an excellent game. This is a professional piece of software and would have surely been released commercially back in the CPC's heyday- it's that good. Make sure you get version 2 of the game from Binary Sciences, as the first version released had a minor bug.

Top the high score table.

Graphics 82%
P. Not astounding, but they are well done all the same.

Sound 80%
P. Decent sound effects and some great tunes.

Grab Factor 87%
P. Easy to play, takes practice to master.

Staying Power 93%
P. Several options with plenty of challenge.

Overall 90%
P. Nintendo had Tetris, Sega had Columns, the CPC has Groops!