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A Belgian comic strip inspired American Civil War game, eh? Well, it sounds weird and wonderful. But is it Yankee Doodle Dandy or a load of Bull Run? Does Infogrames' mix of arcade and strategy clash or conquer? With a rebel yell, our reviewer jumps into the fray...

Few people other than Chantal Cuer and Francois Mitterand will have heard of Les Tuniques Bleues. They star in a series of Belgian comic books (in English, The Blue Jackets) which take an unusually light-hearted look at the American Civil War. Over 30 have appeared in the series so far.

This collection of cute cartoon characters has been translated into the strategy game you see here.

Before you yawn and turn the page, we're not talking about a hexagons-and-blobs affair with damage points and a 1,000-page historical manual. No, this is a curious combination of board-game-style deep thinking, and some neat arcade sequences to boot.

Just like the comic which inspired it, the game is deliberately scanty on historical detail. What it does contain is two opposing sides battling for control of the disunited states of America: you can choose to play either the Yankees or Confederates, entering the war at any one of four years and three difficulty levels. The aim is to capture territory until all enemy forces have been sent to the great firing range in the sky. (Well, now you've got no excuse for not knowing your objective!)

The course of events is mainly directed from a map screen which shows all the states and troop positions and reveals who occupies what. Each soldier on this map represents a platoon of riflemen, cannon and cavalry - and it's their job to capture adjacent territories.

That's not all: the more troops you have, the more chance you have of winning, but the only way to get more troops is with hard cash. Cash drops magically into your coffers only when you establish a rail supply line - so it's a wise idea to occupy states with rail lines in them as soon as possible.

There are two basic ways of playing the game: arcade and strategy. Arcade mode allows you to directly influence the course of battles, capture enemy forts and raid trains; strategy mode has no arcade sequences, gauging the success of your actions' probability - for example, the more troops you have, the more likely it is that you will win a battle. In effect, this mode is virtually redundant; it cuts out a lot of disk loading but it also lessens the atmosphere and sense of involvement.

You can also include random elements - such as clouds, neutral opponents and supply troops for a bit of spice.

All these factors make North And South one of the better-presented games around. It has a neat intro sequence, a cleverly designed options screen (try tickling the photographer's fancy for a few Terry Scott-style laughs) and some excellent cartoon sequences - all nice touches.

But the basic gameplay isn't quite so impressive. Once you've sussed out how to win on the hardest level, there isn't much to keep you coming back for more. However, long-term appeal lies in two-player mode: if you have a friend you can play the game with regularly, there's plenty of fun to be had. If not, the attraction will surely fade all too quickly.

1. Neat cartoon style.
2. Four difficulty levels.
3. Three skill levels for human or computer players.
4. Two-player mode extends the lifespan.
5. Optional features spice up the action.
6. A choice of games: strategy only, or arcade-style.
7. Good sound effects.
8. Excellent demo mode.

1. Multiload is an intrusion for disk owners, and an unnecessary burden on cassette users.
2. Once you've sussed out the hardest level, there's little to draw you back.
3. A couple of the arcade sequences are too easy.