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You can race around the world. You can run from city to city. But you can't escape the bubbles. They'll follow you from Japan to London, then to the USA. And they'll get you. There is only one solution: pop them.

Pang is best played by two people simultaneously, with you and a friend both armed with harpoon guns to fire at the bubbles as they bounce around the screen. Initially the bubbles are large and slow and they bounce to a height which makes it easy to fire the harpoons into them. Once hit, they burst in two, and each smaller bubble is quicker and bounces lower over the players' heads. Burst these, and even smaller bubbles appear. By now the screen is filled with lots of tiny objects whizzing around in manic but logical bouncing trajectories.

If a bubble touches you, you lose a life. But if you hit the smallest bubbles they disappear completely, and this is how to clear each screen. It's the process of elimination. And it's very exciting.

The screens, representing different parts of the world, have varying layouts. There are more and more bubbles, platforms, ladders and other obstacles for the harpoon-toting heroes to trip over as they rush around, eyes fixed ever skyward. The more crowded the screen gets, the more frantic and agitated the little guys get. And that's without even mentioning the time limit they're also fighting against.

Fortunately, there are a number of useful weapons and objects to collect: a double harpoon that can fire two shots every time you press the trigger; a clock that freezes all the bubbles for a few vital seconds, giving you time to select your targets; and a shield that gives you temporary invulnerability. Best of all is the Vulcan Gun, which blasts out pellets at a furious rate, shredding the bubbles before they can descend.

You might also knock out some of the platforms and release bubbles which previously weren't able to get you. And there'll be frenetic, panicsome activity until you pop every last one of them.

The graphics are great. The scenic backdrops look very good, and lend a curious other-worldly feel to the game. (But then, you might say it's already pretty other-worldly to be splitting huge coloured balloons with a harpoon.) The bubbles look excellent too, and they move quickly, smoothly and realistically. There's no slowing down when the screen is crowded either.

Sound takes the form of weird sound-chip tunes, changing in each location. These are insidious and not too intrusive, and they complement the game beautifully.

Pang is novel, simple to understand, and harmfully addictive. You start playing, only to continue, and continue, while the seasons gradually change outside, unnoticed. Its uncomplicated format makes it look easy, but it isn't. It gets very tricky, especially in one-player mode and when the screen's full of the tiniest deadly bubbles.

It's annoying that you can't jump to dodge balls as they bounce around the screen, but this is a minor complaint in what is otherwise an unbeatable puzzle game. You play it much, much more than is good for you, just to get better at it. There's a whole world-full of screens waiting, and you'll spend many happy hours trying to get to see them.