Columns - but on the Speccy. As simple as that. This was produced by Compiler Software and would have been been an ideal magazine cover tape game.

As there aren't any news-stand Speccy magazines around, Compiler Software have released ZX Columns as a free download. You can even download an inlay card if you want to convert the image file to tape.

By now, there have been a couple of Spectrum Columns clones (Stack-Up and, erm, Columns [there's a TR-DOS game called Columns. It's quite good. But anyway]) with Stack-Up being the only professionally released game [in the UK] out of the three mentioned here. That doesn't mean that ZX Columns isn't any good. It is.

First impressions are positive. There's no music however the front end is pleasant and tidy. At my first game session, my initial reaction was 'uuuurggh'. The individual column graphics are awful. They're single-coloured and the design is meant to be something like a flower, however it's just not pleasant. This doesn't stop the game from playing well though. And there's nothing wrong with the side-bar graphics, either. After every so often the side-bar graphics change colour. It doesn't do anything to the game obviously, but it's a nice touch.

There's no music running during the game however there's the odd 'plink' effect when you create a line of three like-coloured lines. Minimalist however it suits the game style.

Gameplay-wise, ZXC matches up to expectations. The game starts off fairly straightforward, with the frequency of the discs falling increasing faster as the game progresses. As ever with this type of game, you can make it easier or more difficult depending on where you place the columns. There's also a set of three white discs which once touched with another colour will delete all like colours.

One of the key factors of a game like this is that it needs to grab you, keep on playing. And ZX Columns does that. Ugly graphics aside, I've spent a good hour or so solidly playing the game. And with a puzzle game, that's so necessary.

All in all, there's not much I really need to say. ZX Columns is a fine puzzle game, a good conversion of the original (if a little basic-looking). Amongst all Spectrum puzzle games around, I'd put ZXC within the top ten percent. Play it and see.