=5. CHAMPIONSHIP 3D SNOOKER (88%, issue 19)

April 1992’s issue of Commodore Format featured one of the best Roger Frames comic strips of them all. It was Lent, and Roger’s Mum challenged him to keep off his C64 for forty days and forty nights – with predictably hallucinogenic results.

He was kept busy before he had to come off the games, with a raft of brilliant budget re-releases in time for Easter. Ghouls And Ghosts and Rick Dangerous both put in a £3.99 appearance, and Rainbow Islands was doing the rounds again on Kixx. But it was a surprise release from Zeppelin that ended up topping the budget charts.

Championship 3D Snooker is impressive. You plan your shots with the “camera” looking top down onto the table, using a cursor to aim and holding fire for strength. When you play a shot, the view switches to 3D.

3D SNOOKER review — There’s only so much you can say about a snooker game, but the important thing to know is that this is great fun.

And it looks pretty neat. The balls move very realistically, including any added spin or swerve you’ve put on them. The computer will also guide you through each game if you want, so you don’t have to know the rules straight off the bat.

It isn’t entirely authentic. There are only six reds because of the C64’s limitations, for example. And you do get some sprite flicker. But it’s fun. It has a real arcade feel – you can pick it up any time and have a right laugh, which isn’t something you can say about a lot of similar games. CF

CF SAID: “More fun than real snooker.”

WE SAY: There are more realistic snooker sims, but they’re not as appealing as this. You’ll keep coming back.