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I was really looking forward to the release of such a best-seller for the Amstrad: if so many people like it, then it must be good. And, technically, it is. The sound and graphics are excellent, and the title page, featuring the theme from Chariots of Fire, sets the scene perfectly. The ten events are split into five on each side of the tape.

You begin with three lives, and every time you fail to quality in an event you lose a life. As the qualifying times and distances are difficult to achieve, be ready for many initial failures. You make Daley run by continuously moving the joystick left and right, and, as it is important to gain speed, this requires considerable effort on behalf of the player. The throwing events are also difficult, requiring swift movement of the joystick and a careful co-ordination of use of the fire button. Daley Thompson's reactions to failure are amusing, and the crowd's reactions add greatly to the atmosphere.

Instructions are clear, and I liked the scoreboard above the action - very realistic and just like athletics on the telly! Unfortunately, frantically waggling a joystick from side to side doesn't appeal to me; in fact it made me feel rather silly. Still, a challenging game if you are that way inclined, very well produced; almost as gruelling as the real thing!