SPEEDWAY REPLAY SIMULATION FOR THE P.C.

Is this the ultime tactical challenge. Based on the classic dice-and-chart game Speedway Scene II, Flying Shale is a rather excellent PC game that will give you many hours in front of your machine as you play both team manager and rider. The operation of the game is very simple and easy to become familar with but please don't think that means playing is easy - you'll have to be at your sharpest to beat the powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) opponent.

With quite stunning depth, Flying Shale gives you the ability to take charge of ANY team in ANY competition from ANY season from 1965 right up to 2002. Or ATG riders, WSC from 1949 and a large number of different meeting formats (pairs etc) give a wider choice than just the BL seasons. And if that's not enough for you, there's a built in editing suite which allows you to create from scratch your own teams and riders or edit those already there - you can make Justin Elkins a superstar for example! No offence Justin. Chose the team you wish to manage and then get on with it. You'll have to make your own decisions on team selection, booking guest riders, tactical substitutes etc.

Each heat is played out individually where you have control over your riders and what they do on the track - not withstanding falls, loss of control, drifting off the line and other misfortune which the AI throws up to make your life harder. The tactical options are testing and just because your riders might make the gate doesn't mean they'll stay there - do you move them to the inside and try to team-rider the opposition out of it or make them risk a ride round the board to pass you.

You'll have to take track conditions in to account when deciding on your next move as a blast around the outside on a slick track might mean losing ground or on a wet one, a trip through the fence! The realism is added to by each lap of each heat broken in to segments with you having to make a calculated decision each time for both your riders. Infact, such is the attention to detail everything that happens in "real" speedway is programmed in apart from rain-offs and a transfer market.

A purchase of Flying Shale is worth £25 of anyone's money. Install the game, begin to play and it'll draw you in immediately - very addictive. I sat down in front of my machine early evening, began to play and the next time I looked up it was well after midnight. It's that absorbing. This is surely a "must-have" product for any speedway fan and you can't fail to be impressed by the game's depth, tacticals and almost unlimited options. Essential stuff.

For more details on how to order visit www.roogames.co.uk which includes further details and several screenshots, or e-mail enquiries@roogames.co.uk with any specific questions. Flying Shale costs £25 (inc UK Postage), is distributed on CD with printed manual for all versions of Windows from 95 upwards.