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If you took the old board game Othello and threw in a bit of computer wizardry, you'd probably end up with something like The Ball Game. The main thrust of this package (fnar) is the same in that you aim to dominate the entire playing area (or 'board' as us techy types like to call it) with balls of your own colour.

The main difference is that, in this version, you control some little blokey with a spray gun. Actually, he's supposed to be the embodiment of one of the four elements: earth, fire, air and water. In reality, he looks like some little blokey with a spray gun, dressed in blue, brown, red or cyan.

Your elemental chap moves in one of three ways: by 1) walking to an adjacent square (but not diagonally); 2) jumping to a square two spaces away (over a ball, hole or another player); or 3) teleporting himself to an empty square at random. Now, step off a square and a ball inflates behind you, effectively giving you control of that square. If you jump to another square, any adjacent balls in the area (up to a maximum of eight, with you in the middle) get sprayed your own colour. In this way you can jump around the board, controlling balls which you didn't actually place. Teleporting is a last resort if you can't walk or jump anywhere: the target square is chosen at random and unless there's at least one unoccupied square next to it, you're history, dude.

The game is really a sequence of campaigns. When the last player teleports into oblivion, the ball values are counted up for each player. Balls bearing your colour all count towards your total and balls on high value squares (extra dots) count... er... more. The one with the highest score wins that round, and gains an extra teleport. Each player starts off with 20 teleports and the game ends when they've all been used up. The player with the highest total is the winner.

One of the outstanding features of The Ball Game is the number of options: you can play any variations of human/computer players, there are four difficulty settings, you can choose which is, of course, tripled. Hmmm.

Gameplay is pretty captivating, but only on the later levels (interesting board formations) and in Very Easy mode (you won't die of old age before the game ends). Another annoying flaw is the random distribution of high-value squares. You often find that a certain player can stomp all over 'em and practically win the game from the outset. Still, I did enjoy TBG. It's a taxing little thinker and makes a break from laserin' and Ninjerin'.

1. Unbearable time delay in playing the more intelligent computer players.
2. Random board layout can prove annoyingly unfair.
3. Limited variety in actual gameplay means that it won't be a long-lifer.

1. Small characters are nicely animated and move well.
2. Large amount of game options is commendable.
3. Board visuals are very tidy and extremely functional.
4. Neat control method.
5. Addictive Othello game style is still there - recommendation enough.
6. Not much sound, but what is there is suitably effective.