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16 BLITZ £4.99 (Wow!) * Joystick or Keyboard

This game should come with a double virus warning, because it is catching. The whole idea is to spread, reproduce, replicate or, to put it another way, infect a playing grid with your blobs before any of the opposition's coloured blobs can do the same.

It is perfectly simple. There is a seven by seven grid with a coloured blob in each corner. The blobs can duplicate into an adjacent square or jump over a square. Thus they can gradually fill in, and move around, the grid. Every time a blob of one colour fills a square next to a blob of another colour it changes the second blob to the same colour as itself.

The aim is to end up with more blobs of your colour than the one of the other player's. In such a way is a great tactical game born.

One to four players can take part, any or all of which can be computer controlled. They each start with a corner, with one empty for a three player game and two blobs each in a two player game.

Initially, it sounds like Othello (Reversi) but the elements of jumping and reproducing adjacently change the game tactics immensely. One soon learns the basics, but getting to grips with the deeper tactics is tougher and the computer opponents will always put up a fierce struggle, whatever their skill level.

The grid can also be dotted with blocks which cannot be used, once again presenting new tactical problems. There are a series of pre-defined layouts but you can easily create custom ones.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND

The actual grid and blob graphics are very simple, but the way the blobs split and move is satisfyingly gloopy, as is the sound effect for this. The best sounds and graphics are on the title screens. This may seem curious, but the game does not need them and they provide an interesting diversion. You can actually 'play' the title screen as a sort of psychedelic paint palette where you can create beautiful effects. The soundtrack for this is also atmospheric and decidedly conductive to sitting in a dark room playing with colours.

JUDGEMENT

Infection may be simple, but it is also very enjoyable. It is the sort of game you will keep coming back to for another try, every few days for months and years to come. It is good, but the clincher is the price. At under a fiver it is a real bargain which all gamesplayers should avail themselves of.