Shatter

Gen cert, Sidhe, PSN and PC ***

Few games have had as lasting an impact as Atari's Pong. Shatteris the latest game to be influenced by the arcade classic. With the now-requisite sci-fi setting, the game asks players to bat an incoming ball towards blocks until they've all been worn away. It's not as simple as it seems: as it ricochets from walls, cogs, blocks and other moving objects, the ball will test your hand-eye co-ordination. With colourful graphics and inventive levels, Shattermakes the most of the simple set-up, using your humble bat and ball to wear down moving objects, reproducing cells, whirring machines and mechanical animals. It's an ultimately limited game, but at its low-budget price Shatter will prove a nostalgic diversion for some and an engaging arcade game for others.