US Gold
£4.99

Wot? It's only eleven minutes or so since the First Leader Board was ushered out to a waiting public, and here's another one. Weird, huh, especially as it took so long for the original to make its way over from the Commodore. But let's not moan - Leader Board is still by far and away the best sportsim to hit the Spectrum and Access, the American company that created it, clearly knows when it's on to a winner.

So, no sooner have we mastered the first four courses when, tarantara, here are another four. And I can tell you - they're piggin' difficult! No nice wide fairways here, just ratty little islands poking out of the Leader Board ocean. On the fourth course it's hard going to avoid the watery vastness even on the Novice level.

Otherwise, though, Tournaments much the same as its illustrious predecessor - the same simple but infinitely subtle controls, the same graphics, the same Gary Player lookalike masquerading as you. The only change I noticed was that once you've taken a shot, the program no longer draws the new perspective on the screen - instead, you wait a little longer and flip straight to your next shot. It's slicker but somehow less fun.

And Tournament is not the end of it. In the next month or so we'll be seeing World Class Leader Board, which, like the most recent Commodore and ST versions, takes place on dry land, with bunkers, trees, the works. What's more, three of the four courses will be modelled existing courses with the fourth a sort of compilation course made up of some of the most difficult holes from around the world. Slobber drool! Can't wait for the ST version (You're fired! Ed). But for now there's Tournament. If I was going to be fair, I'd have to say it's for addicts only, but as that describes me perfectly I don't think I will. And it's still far less exhausting than the real thing. Me? I'm off to the 19th hole for a tincture. Set 'em up, barperson.

Label: US Gold
Author: In-house
Price: £4.99
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Tamara Howard

Perhaps one of the most successful and highly revered golf simulation games of the last few years was US Gold's Leaderboard. And when you're on to a good thing, you might as well milk it for all it's worth. Working on such a principle, the boys at US Gold have decided to produce a new Leaderboard. Thus we now have Leaderboard Tournament, remarkably similar to Leaderboard, only with different shaped holes and a lot more water.

The aim of the game is as before. Well, there's not a lot else you can do with golf is there? Get round the course in as few hits as possible, and don't fall in the water because it makes you look silly. For those who were fans of the original Leaderboard and have gone into a decline having completed all the holes on the original, Leaderboard Tournament should be welcomed as a source of great delight. To those who missed out on Leaderboard, salvation is at hand. (And there's the promise of a third in the series in the near future too) Nice one.