BBC sport games: Reviews and Rates

The BBC website can often be the first port of call for news and sport, but it is also a good stopping off point if you want a spot of light relief. BBC sports games are a collection of fun games to play during a brief break in work or to pass the time at home. This article rates the best of them.

All round action

There are a number of sports covered on BBC games, many of which focus on the big sporting events that the corporation has covered down the years. Variety
Rugby union has the 6 Nations game. For cricket fans, there is a chance to win the Ashes for England. Denise Lewis Heptathlon allows athletics fans to try out the seven events of the former Olympic champion's discipline. There are also football, golf and tennis games to try out. Rugby
The best of the bunch is the rugby game. It comes in two stages: academy games, in which you learn the basics of tackling, passing, kicking, scrummaging and line out play, and 6 Nations, in which you put all these aspects together. Rugby is a complicated game, but even with simple, limited graphics, these simulations capture the major parts of it well. It takes a while to master, which adds to the fun.
Cricket
Last Man Standing, a cricket game, has four scenarios in which you have to put together a final wicket stand to thwart Australia. This does not work as well as the rugby game, as the movement feels limited.
Fans of the classic 1980s athletics game, Daley Thompson's Decathlon will revel in the Lewis game. It has the same addictive quality as you bash the buttons to get the best times and jumps.
Tennis
Of the rest, a sense of the surreal is shown in Tardis Tennis. This is where you find out what would happen if Queen Victoria played John Lennon at Wimbledon.

Positive points

-Simple graphics and quick loading process provide a fix of gaming fun (no need to rely on a console) - Great imagination is shown in the limited format (for example :spicing up tennis with famous people) - It boasts a retro feel that will appeal to older games fans left behind by the march of technology.

Negative points

- Flash games are a quick fix of enjoyment. This may turn off those used to more complex simulations - Limited shelf life (some of the games are too easy to master) - Limited number of key use on some of the games.The nine shots available on the cricket game contrast badly with the two or three used in other online cricket games.