Reversi

Sinclair User

Overall 2/5

Chris Bourne 2/5

Publisher: Sinclair Research Price: £12.95 Now here's a lovely sight - Othello on the QL. There is at least one version already from Softschool, which we panned in September because it was absolutely dire. In fact, there's something pretty dire about putting Othello on any machine these days, let alone the super-magnifico QL, but some nitwit at Sinclair Research clearly had a stroke in the bath one morning and said "what the hell, let's do it anyway." Now, if you want Othello, this is probably the version to get. It's got nine levels of play, with a response time of two hours at the highest level. If anybody's into playing Othello by post, they'll love it. There must be at least a dozen sales there, surely. The game is attractively produced for what it is, and the QL plays competently at the lowest level, and meanly from about level three up. Watch, boggled, as the pieces shunt across the screen when you make a move. There are also options for a two-person mode, replaying the previous game, and a demo where the QL happily plays itself while you go and do something worthwhile like watching your pirate video of Rambo for the thirteenth time. In fact, it's that last option which represents the real value of the program. It's the ideal present for a bored QL this Christmas.