Anyone remember Activision's 'Little Computer People' on the Commodore 64? Frankly, games such as Singles: Flirt Up Your Life provide a good argument for building a time machine, zooming back and ensuring LCP never got published. It ultimately gave rise to the never-ending Sims franchise and, subsequently, this risible attempt to add sex to the whole concept.

Basically, you pick a male and female character and a living space, and from there it's up to you to bring them together. There are various areas of their life to take care of, from eating, sleeping and washing, through to improving surroundings and occasionally popping out. However, these facets will, if you leave the game to its own devices, pretty much look after themselves (although with not a sight of nookie, it should be added). No, your focus is on improving the relationship between our virtual pair, through friendship, romance and sensuality.

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To do this, you can take control of either character at any point, and issue them instructions. This might be to go to the bedroom and strip down to their underwear, to go and tell a joke to the other party, to do a little flirting, or simply to have a gossip. As the relationship blossoms, further options come into play. A good snog, for instance, is greyed out at first, but soon becomes available. Further options also arise, and you can pretty much leave these to your imagination.

Sadly though, Singles is a one trick pony. Sold effectively as the Sims with sex, once you've guided your two characters through their boring lives to fun and frolics, you may as well pack the game away. That's unless you find it strangely titillating that two virtual figures get it on together. Heck, you can zoom in if you want as well.

Now it's fair at this point to declare that your reviewer was always a little appalled by the success of The Sims, finding it a tedious waste of an ever-increasing amount of money. Thus, it seemed only fair to bring in a Sims-fanatic to also judge Singles, and see if we concurred.

We did.

At least, you see, in defence of The Sims there was more of a world to it, more to do and more characters to interact with. While Singles does occasionally broaden out, it's ultimately quite limiting and very boring after quarter of an hour. There's not really much you can do, and if you were looking to something to get kicks off, your money could get you some far longer-lasting fodder down your local emporium with the blacked out windows. Apparently. As it stands, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life is an unenjoyable look into the virtual lives of two characters who might bonk if you show enough interest.

It's a cheap idea, with lots of polish. While there may be scope for a 'grown up' version of The Sims, this isn't it. Immensely resistible.