"Where are those reports Sly? And get me that damn fool Cliff Barnes on line one!"

Yes, if you spent a depressingly large part of the Eighties watching the TV soap Dallas, then the idea of attempting to make a fortune prospecting for oil will appeal.

In this offering for the PC, the player starts with a few million dollars and must scour the world for likely oil fields to tap and exploit. Hire enough workers, make sure you ship the crude to refineries and watch the bank balance grow.

New technologies can be researched and several computer or human opponents can give you a run for your money. This is a solid game with plenty of surprises and longevity but at this price it just can not compete with scores of similar games on the market. At a tenner this could have been the Sue Ellen of management sims. Instead, its the Lucy Ewing of the genre.

Price: £24.99.

Contact: www.oil-tycoon.de
Feel good factor: 5 out of 10.