Worms World Party. Published by Virgin. Format: Dreamcast (£29.99)

ANYONE who loves video games probably dreams of sending an idea to a publishing company, who plucks it from the thousands of suggestions they get every year and turns it into a best-seller.

Sadly, for all those would-be gaming gods, that sort of thing doesn't happen any more. Or does it?

The gestation of Worms - a bizarre strategy shoot 'em up starring an army of, you guessed it, worms - is remarkably similar to the scenario above. The guys behind it turned up at a games show, handed a floppy disk over to one of the companies with a stand, who played it and snapped up the rights that same day.

Worms has been around for quite a few years now and, although the graphics have improved, the game play has remained the same.

Essentially it's a turn-based game of strategy. You control your army of cartoon fellas, position them on the screen, then take turns to blast the enemy. The winner is the player who eliminates all the enemy worms first.

It sounds simple but, in reality, it can be fiendishly difficult to play. The strictly two dimensional battlegrounds aren't just window dressing. You have to use them to your advantage if you want to be successful. It's the same story with the weapons at your disposal.

Worms World Party (Virgin) for the Sega Dreamcast is the latest incarnation of the long running series.

To be honest it's very similar to the previous Worms game, Worms Armageddon, only this time around you can battle human players over the Internet. Those new to the concept would be well advised to practice against the Dreamcast for a few weeks before venturing on-line, though.

No matter how good the computer, a human opponent is always more cunning and, consequently, harder to beat.

Scooby Doo: Showdown in Ghost Town/ Phantom of the Knight. Published by: The Learning Company. Format: PC CD-ROM (£24.99)

Given the popularity of the cartoons it's surprising to see it has taken so long to bring Scooby Doo to the world of computer games.

With a movie on the way and interest in the older series at new high, thanks to the Cartoon Channel, publishers are scrambling to make up for lost time.

This month sees the release of two new Scooby titles for younger gamers, Scooby Doo and The Phantom of the Knight and Scooby Doo, Showdown in Ghost Town. These PC-only titles follow hot on the heels of a luke-warm Scooby title for the Nintendo 64. Further outings are likely on the PlayStation 2 and, possibly, the PS1.

As they are aimed at younger gamers neither Scooby adventure is particularly taxing. You have to solve some fairly basic puzzles to unmask the miscreant that's causing all the trouble.

Fans of the cartoon show will enjoy interacting with their favourite characters and both games are a gentle introduction to the art of computer games for youngsters.

Not to be out done by Scooby Doo, Disney Interactive is releasing six titles at bargain prices.

A Bug's Life may not have been up to the standards set by Roger Rabbit but the game itself is a handy little platform adventure. You play Flik - the wise-cracking hero from the movie - and it's up to you to fight off the rival insect hoards.

Another famous bug, Jiminy Cricket, is your guide to Disney's Villains' Revenge. This title is a veritable roll call of Disney bad guys and includes Captain Hook, the evil queen from Snow White and Dumbo's devious ringmaster.

If you're more of an artistic type Disney's Magic Artist Studio offers basic drawing and animation tools. Kids will love the ability to bring their own cartoon characters to life.

Aimed at younger girls, Disney's Princess Fashion Boutique allows fans to dress Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

One nifty feature is the software's ability to allow a digital photo to be imported so players can interact on screen with their favourite characters.

Disney's Winnie The Pooh Print Studio offers more than 100 images and specially designed Disney fonts. Now you can create Disney birthday cards, invites and placemats - perfect for kids' parties.

The new range goes on sale this weekend at the cut price of £9.99.