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Jumping over rows of cars on a motorcycle has always struck me as a pretty strange thing to do, and an even stranger thing to watch. So it was with some trepidation that I loaded up this computer game version of Eddie Kidd's livelihood. And found a surprisingly enjoyable game.

There isn't really very much to it, but what there is is done very well. The principles of Jump Challenge are very simple: speed along on your bike and clear all the cars in the row.

But before you get a go at this you have to endure the game's major drawback - a practice run on a BMX bike.

There's absolutely no skill involved in this as you merely press a key and make your jump. There's no avoiding it. And there's no excuse for it.

The real thing is much better and requires a certain amount of practice and skill. Eddie's bike is controlled with keys for the gears, throttle and brakes. To accelerate you have to move up through the gears. Accelerate too quickly and you end up doing a disastrous wheelie. Change gear too quickly and you'll splutter to a halt.

Making a successful jump means calculating the correct speed for the distance and the angle at which Eddie should lean forward or back. Jump Challenge's graphics are colourful and clear, but nothing special - the wheels on the bike don't move, for example. The sound, though, gives a realistic range of groans, splutters and roars as you change up through the gears.

Jump Challenge is an entertaining novelty, and this version is far superior to that on the Spectrum. Amusing as it is, though, I can't see it gripping many gamesters for long.

Starting out on a BMX bike doesn't seem to me to be very stylish, but since it's giving you the chance to get the hang of jumping, I suppose it's OK.

When you get on to the big bike - you know, the one with the motor - the action really begins. However, what I found annoying was the fact that every time you crashed you were sent back to the BMX. Ugh!

The revving sound of the motorbike is great and the scrolling background with trees and grandstand all add to the atmosphere.

The BBC version is really a challenge and streets ahead of the Spectrum game. In both there is the infuriating BMX stage which takes no skill, and there ought to be a way to avoid having to do it every time.

The actual bike jump is exhilarating on the Beeb and you get a real taste of excitement striving for each leap. Great crashes as well as you land in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Lasting interest is inspired by the desire to go further, but having to start at the beginning every time is a major drawback.