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The new football season has begun and English teams are back in Europe; two facts that haven't escaped the notice of Microprose whose new game sets out to recreate the pace and action of international football on your ST.

International Soccer Challenge has two play options: World Cup and Super League. There's also a practice option for perfectionists and a load game option.

The World Cup scenario enables you to play through the entire tournament for the team of your choice. The teams are already sorted into groups, so if your footy skills aren't exactly international standard, you can pick a strong side in a weak group.

You have the option to rename the team of your choice so you can have something like ST Format International Wonder Boys With Big Bellies And Manly Hairdos playing against Italy and routing them in the process. The computer decides the results of the other matches and displays a group table each match.

The Super League option consists of famous European teams including Liverpool and Manchester Utd, but if your allegiances lie south of the Watford gap then you can enter your own team.

The practice option includes most of the elements you've confronted with during a match. Different types of pass can be tried out by booting the ball across the pitch to a stationary player, corners can be perfected and vicious penalties punted at the goalie.

Once a match play option has been chosen, a new screen enables you to specify your striker's name, the match length, the control option and the degree of difficulty. The control option enables you to play just one player or skip between different members of the team.

The match commences with the players emerging from the tunnel, re-adjusting their boxes and taking up positions around the pitch. The ref blows his whistle and a click of the fire button knocks the ball to your team-mate.

To run with the ball you simply get as close to it as possible and sprint up the pitch. To tackle a player you run up to them and press Fire to perform a sliding tackle. To pass the ball you aim in the right direction and hold down the Fire button. The strength of kicks is shown by a yellow bar at the bottom of the screen.

What sets International Soccer Challenge apart from other football simulators are the graphics. The game is viewed from a slightly elevated position looking up the pitch and scrolling is extremely smooth.

A tremendous amount of effort has gone into making the players move as fluidly as possible. They actually run, not hop, skip, float or moonwalk. What's more these footballers are visible, not just specks on a green baize background.

The game is viewed as if on one of those mega TVs you see at super stadiums and the position of individual players is shown on a radar-like screen to the right.

Sound is well-implemented, consisting of a series of samples which don't interrupt the gameplay, though a moronic tune plays at the start and an even duffer one greets each goal scored.

Since the beginning of this year, ST Format has reviewed more than ten football games. It therefore seems fairly likely that you already own a soccer simulator of some sort. So the question really is, what does this game have to offer which is new? The answer is stunning visuals and a comprehensive practice option. The graphics are the best seen in any football game and the practice option soon has you playing like a true pro. The game doesn't have a two-player option, but how many people really play two-player games anyway?

If you haven't got a decent soccer sim or you can't get along with the one you've got, give International Soccer Challenge a try. It's playable, attractive and well-designed. Over 'ere son, on me 'ed.