Zinzan's World Championship Rugby (PC)

Reviewed by PETER ELEY

Herald rating * * * *

It was to be called Doug Howlett's Rugby, but some behind-the-scenes difficulties with the rugby union led to Zinzan Brooke stepping in at a late stage. Never mind. As it's not an officially licensed game, neither player makes an appearance as such.

And while we live and breathe rugby in this part of the world, it's a minority sport in much of the world, especially that mass consumer of computer games, America.

Which means that rugby hasn't had the same amount of time and money lavished on it as games based on sports the American public watches and buys.

For example, EA's Rugby 2004 is a perfectly playable game, but doesn't stack up against that company's Madden 2004 gridiron game or its baseball, soccer and golf titles.

So it was with high anticipation that we booted up Zinzan Brooke's Rugby, although our promotional copy was still called by its working title, WRC Rugby. What was immediately apparent was that this isn't an officially licensed product, unlike E'As Rugby 2004.

The players are generic, although there were tantalising hints of real players in the All Blacks, a player with dreads, a short, square-chinned blond guy at halfback, and a darkly handsome, big-haired winger who looks like a refugee from Pirates of the Caribbean, hmmm ...

The names are a bit of a laugh: our Tana lookalike is called Ugo Touhy, Marshall's doppleganger is Dwight Wray, and the player looking like Dougie is Scott Wetzel.

The competitions, too, have been rebranded, the Tri-Nations is the Three Nations here, and the Six Nations is the Euro Nations.

The real grounds can't be used, either. We played Australia at some place called Tiger Bay Stadium, and oddly, Stuart Barnes was commentating.

These are minor irritations, though because the gameplay is good.

The graphics are sharp, players move fluidly and the developers have come to grips with rugby's complex nature, while allowing passages of easily controlled attacking play.

If you can suspend your disbelief, pretend that Ugo Tuohy really is Tana Umaga and get used to playing at places such as Tiger Bay, Zinzan Brooke's Rugby is an enjoyable and realistic interpretation of our national game.

The game has also been released for Xbox and PS2.

(Acclaim, G)

* Email Peter Eley