Connectem 3D

Remember the bit at the end of WarGames when the WOPR computer is instructed to play Tic-tac-toe against itself? (If you don't and you plan on seeing it, skip to the next paragraph now.) Eventually, the computer realises that there is no way the game can result in anything but a draw, applies the same logic to a nuclear war and states that, 'The only winning move is not to play'.

Aside from the obvious political message, this statement highlights the fundamental problem with Noughts and Crosses. Anyone with half a strategic brain will quickly realise you can't win unless your opponent is inept. Cue Connectem 3D, which adds depth, breadth and height to the classic – though flawed – game concept.

Featuring a 4x4x4 playing area, Connectem 3D simulates the board game version of 3D Noughts and Crosses, which confusingly plays more like 3D Connect Four in that the pieces also stack on top of each other. A horizontal, vertical or diagonal row of four coloured blocks in any direction or level wins the game, meaning a lot more thought is required than in the two dimensional version.

Luckily, GlobalFun has created an AI that is more than up to the job (and which has so far shown no interest in causing a nuclear holocaust). The AI comes in four flavours of difficulty, with each step up offering a vastly different challenge to the previous mode. The best setting is probably Hard, with the two easier settings liable to make ridiculous unforced errors and Impossible proving to be, well, impossible.

There's clearly been a lot of effort put into the design of the game. The 3D engine is smooth and responsive, for instance, enabling you to rotate the metallic play area and assess your next move. Aurally, a trio of musical themes are available, or you can opt for just sound effects instead. All three themes vary greatly in style, increasing your chances of finding something suited to your own individual taste.

However, the design is slightly lacking when it comes to the dimensions of the playing area itself. Longer games can become difficult due to the pieces obscuring each other, causing frustration when you're beaten by a move you didn't see because your view was impaired. While this isn't a game breaker, it could have easily been avoided by spacing things out a little more, or by making the coloured blocks slightly smaller.

The inclusion of a two-player mode is a no-brainer, letting you pit your wits against a human opponent. Bluetooth isn't supported, though, meaning you only get a pass-the-handset affair, but if you can find someone with an equal skill level this can actually be a lot of fun (otherwise things will rapidly become repetitive as you constantly beat or lose to your opponent, to state the obvious).

Ultimately, there isn't really a great deal wrong with Connectem 3D – everything looks, works and plays the way it's supposed to. The trouble is that it doesn't take the concept any further, settling for adequacy across the board. As far as 3D Noughts and Crosses go, it's a well-designed, functional conversion.