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The year is 2022. American football has been phased out and, instead, a closely-related game is played out by robots five times the size of a person, with a single human taking control of each powerful and destructive team. Bloodshed is no more. Head to head metallic destruction on a monumental scale is the aim of the game, Cyberball is its name. Let automation devastation commence...

Yes, this is the future of American Footie as told by Domark, with their first cartridge game, an arcade conversion of the Tengen coin-op Cyberball. When you first switch on, the title page is instantly displayed. Oh joy, praise be, hurra... [Don't worry folks, the novelty will soon wear off - Ed]. You must then select your team from a choice of six. Two of these are part of an amateur league which supposedly gives rise to an easier game (but that is very debatable).

At this point, an explanation of the overall aim of the game would be wise. Your team must score touchdowns by carrying the explosive ball over the opponents' end zone. When you are in possession of the ball, you have four attempts to get it ten yards up the field before it explodes. When the ten yard target is reached, the ball is defused and the attack cycle starts all over again.

During an attack phase, two types of play can be made. The first is a running play which involves transferring the ball to your running back so that it can make lunatic dash towards the end zone. The other play is a passing play which is slightly more complex. The quarterback must avoid the opposition until the wide receiver has reached the point of interception (a flashing square) at which point the quarterback throws the ball to the receiver who you, the player, now controls. The receiver makes a suicidal streak towards the end zone. If either the ball explodes or the other team intercepts it, possession is lost to your opponents.

When this happens you have three 'defensive' play types; long, medium and short. Long plays are good for intercepting an opponent's throw thus gaining possession. Short plays are good for sacking the opposing player who has the ball ('sacking' - a term meaning quite literally 'pummel into the ground') thus preventing him getting any yardage. Medium plays are good for, er, indecisive players [Wot a cop out! - Ed]. Within this framework there are dozens of variations on each individual play. In theory these can be used tactically but in practice the choice of play was almost totally irrelevant.

The single player game suffers badly in many respects, the computer-controlled players on your team are remarkably stupid and tend to hinder your game. This leads to very intermittent play where skilful dashes and passes are mostly attributable to pot luck. There are even occasions when, during a blazing run up the pitch, you get tackled by one of your own players.

The two-player option only adds a little to the enjoyment. With this option you both play for the same team, one player being the quarterback and the other the receiver. This can often lead to spectacular passes and touchdowns but, unlike the one-player option, it makes beating the opposition far too easy, even in the professional league.

The graphics and sound are very nicely done but where the whole thing falls flat is in gameplay. It's either too tough or too easy. There are also some very apparent bugs in the program. Apart from the self-tackling team mates, I was also tackled by an invisible opponent and at one point the game froze altogether.

The excellent presentation of the game itself amounts to nothing when placed alongside the ambiguous rulebook and disastrous gameplay. With more effort, this could have been an excellent futuristic sport sim - but with the existing flaws, it cannot really be recommended.

1. Presentation is excellent from title screen to menus to pitch display.
2. Sprites are good while the pitch is bold and scrolls nicely.
3. Decent soundtrack and spot effects add to the play.
4. Fun in two-player game, but only because you can thrash all the opposition, no sweat.
5. An interesting departure for fans of American footy.

1. Very poor instruction booklet.
2. Individual 'plays' add little to the tactical element.
3. No apparent difference between instructional and 'pro' leagues.
4. Tricky control in solo player mode.
5. Unforgivable bugs and crashes.