BIGBOX THRILLS!

What's the best way to catch up on all the great games that appeared on the Spectrum a while back. One: go out and buy every single one and spend a fortune? Tow: pop around to your mate's house and nick his copies? Or three: take a trip down to your local software shop and snap up one of the great new compilations? Well, one's only for the stupid, two's only for complete basts, so it must be three! NICK ROBERTS gives you the low-down on the current hits in compilation land!

Alternative Software
£2.99

For those with a limited budget, there are more compilations on a smaller scale with Alternative Software's 4 Most packs. Each pack costs only £2.99 and has four action-packed games on it. Hire we've got 4 Most Action and 4 Most Sport.

In 4 Most Sports there's Run For Gold, Endzone Rally Driver and Soccer Boss. What more could the arm chair sports enthusiast want? You can try your hand at track running, American Football, rally driving or even manage your own football team.

Time to catch up with our 2 favourite barg hunters, JON PILLAR and RICH PELLEY, as we fix on our helmets and drop down deep...

BARGAIN BASEMENT

Alternative
£2.99
Reviewer: Jon Pillar

Crikey, another barg 4-pack - and this time covering sport! Mmm, let's hope there's no management games included, eh Spec-chums?

SOCCER BOSS

Oh joy, a management game! But! Better than most, with lots to do encompassing every aspect of footy from winning national competitions to losing miserably against Wigan. In a novel twist, manage the financial side of things as well - balance buying a star-goalie against your injured striker's cartilage operation. Overall, as feature-packed and involving as an encyclopedia and an incriminating photograph.

ENDZONE

Manage (aaghh!) an American football team with a silly name, and try to win the Superbowl. I bought in a knowledgeable pal to help with the much hyped "game tactics". These consist of a list of players numbered 1-15 and you have to pop the strongest players into the strongest positions. Controlling the finances (as in Soccer Boss) livens things up a little, but sadly there's just not enough to do. "Shallow and a bit crap," says my footy friend, and he's just about hit the nail on the head.

RUN FOR GOLD

Coo, this is a strange one! Instead of the waggler you'd expect, this is an almost- strategic game with corking 3D graphics. Train two runners for the 400m, 800m or 1500m events, control their lane-swopping, set their pace and make sure they've enough stamina for a final burst. On the higher skill level take full control of the athletes to enable those swifty swerves around the opposition (but watch out for collsions!) It's all very realistic with spanky presentation and it's very playable in its own little way. But who on earth is it aimed at?

RALLY DRIVER

Not yer ordinairy driving game - more like a flight simulator on wheels! Compete against the Speccy or any number of friends (taking turns) in a 3-stage auto rally, and (unless you've got 28 fingers and the memory of a clever elephant) come last. Features include stage checkpoints, the Speccy as your navigator, crossroads, 3D graphics that tend to 'flick' (rather than scroll) at you, cows on the road, a recommended speed of 40 mph and (of course) lots and lots of crashing. (Perhaps they should rename it Davey Wilson Herald Driver). Ah well, practice makes perfect (and you need to be to get anywhere with thIs).

3 not-bad-at-all games and 1 clunker for £2.99. Sound a decent barg to you? (Sounds a decent barg to me! Reader's voice) Thought so.