CONSOLE REVIEW; Nagano Winter Olympics (Konami) PlayStation

The real thing may be done and dusted, but now you can relive the tension and excitement that was the 1998 Winter Olympics over and over again with Nagano Winter Olympics '98 from Konami.

There are 13 different events to choose from including the four-man bob- sleigh, speedskating and the luge, and players can either compete in individual events or in a full Olympic programme.

On paper, it sounds like a fairly decent game. However, upon witnessing the intro, a terrible realisation dawns upon you; that this game is going to be absolutely rubbish. And, indeed it is. The paucity of the general presentation is the first thing to hit you. This is quickly followed by a smack in the face from the decidedly dodgy graphics. Then, there's the interference in your television's sound which turns out to be the sound effects. And this is all before you actually play the game.

When you do finally begin an event, you'll find that your input in proceedings is so limited as to virtually remove the need for your presence. Select the event in which you wish to compete, and the game will more or less play itself. But this isn't even the worst of it. The real problem is that most of the events are so painfully slow that they feel like slow- motion replays. The snowboarding is so bad it would be laughable if you could manage to stay awake while playing it.

Nagano Winter Olympics '98 is one of the worst games to have been released for the PlayStation in a long time. Avoid it like the plague.

On release, pounds 44.99