DO you remember Panzer Commander? If you do, then you've obviously been playing video games for an awful long time. For the uninitiated, Panzer Commander was a strategy game that scooped a trophy cabinet full of awards in the early days of PC gaming.

Think of strategy games these days and most of us imagine something like Command & Conquer where everything happens in real-time (or a fair approximation of it). But in the early days, strategy titles were more like a game of chess.

Even the best PC gaming rig didn't have the power to produce graphics that changed second by second; instead, you took turns moving your forces into position and doing battle with the computer.

Uncommon Valour is a return to those days of turn-based strategy, only this time the programmers (led by legendary strategy maestro Gary Grigsby) haven't had the interface thrust upon them - they have embraced the idea wholeheartedly.

Switching to a turn-based scenario opens up the whole game way beyond anything a real-time title has ever offered. You're not so much as in charge of an army as the entire war.

The game covers the period of history from May, 1942 to the end of December, 1943 so it doesn't take you right to the moment of Axis surrender. Still, there are 18 different campaign scenarios that can be played against the computer, head-to-head where you take turns with a pal, or even via e-mail.

The game is easy to grasp but difficult to master. It helps if you have some historical knowledge of how the Americans prosecuted the Pacific campaign but you'll soon get into the swing of things after a couple of losing scenarios.

There are a few changes made for the benefit of gameplay. For instance, the American submarine fleet was pretty ineffective during the start of the Pacific campaign proper because so many of their torpedoes were defective. Here they are the ultimate underwater predator, patrolling the sea-lanes and claiming kill after kill among the enemy.

Likewise, Corsair fighters could only fly from US carriers after 1944 (when the Brits made some impressive carrier-born discoveries which made it possible to fly heavier fixed wing aircraft from a flat top) but here they are available a year earlier.

But don't let this put you off. Uncommon Valour is a superb strategy title, possibly the best game of its type ever, and it offers a wicked two-player mode that will keep you engrossed for days.

The e-mail option is an interesting twist to on-line play but I doubt it will prove popular in the UK where on-line access is limited.

If you fancy yourself as some kind of armchair general then this is the game for you. And as for the turn-based strategy genre? All I can say is: "welcome back old friend".

PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP. Publisher: THQ Format: Ps2. Price: £39.99

ULTIMATE Fighting Championship came out in the dying days of the Sega Dreamcast. It wasn't a huge success but that was probably more to do with the mass desertions to the PS2 by former Sega fans than the quality of the game itself.

Pride has been created by the same team and, to be honest, it's pretty much the same game only given a bit of spit and polish.

There's a suitably impressive roster of fighters and all of them have a grounding in real-life martial arts or other fighting techniques.

The aim of the game is to win your bout by knocking your opponents out stone cold or getting them into a submission hold and forcing them to give up. If it sounds like a combination of Tekken meets WWF, you're on the right track.

Interestingly, because of the myriad moves and balance (for every offensive move there's a defensive counter) a bout can switch in an instant. This can make it frustrating for newbies but veterans will appreciate a game engine that doesn't "cheat".

The Grand Prix mode is an overblown tournament, there's a one-off match for gamers who just fancy a bit of action, and survival mode for players who reckon they are good enough to take on all- comers.

Naturally you get the opportunity to model your own fighter and play the game against a friend.

The graphics are an improvement over their UFC Dreamcast successors and the animation is smoothly drawn.

The fighting genre is a very crowded market at the moment. Pride doesn't deserve to sink without a trace like its predecessor.

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Published: ??/??/2003