In the age of the 3D driving game Daytona USA rules the Saturn roost as the current 'must have' purchase. Before Sega Rally moves the goalposts, Hang On GP '95 looks set to sneak over the finishing line and steal a bit of glory for itself.

You know the routine - narrow, winding roads, a couple of tunnels, some interesting background aerial activity and a bridge thrown in for good measure. Hang On meets all these essential credentials and adds one cunning twist - you survey this visual splendour, not from the comfort of a racing car, but from the front seat of a speeding motorbike. Pretty smart, huh?

OK, so it's not the most original twist on a well-worn theme, but Hang On's transition to Saturn nevertheless marks a first for the console. Until Sega see fit to convert Manx TT, this could be the best way to notch up a ton on two-wheels without leaving your house.

A pacy and smooth-looking Daytona on a motorbike.

Bomb around six courses, either in competition against other bikers or in an attempt to better your time.

It's not terribly easy to prang your bike in GP - minor mistakes are usually rewarded with a slight juddering or merely a bounce - but when you do the results are spectacular. Your bike somersaults away from its obstacle, flying across the screen before colliding with the ground. Although impressive, at no point did we ever repeatedly drive into walls simply to watch all this. Dearie me no.

Repair work is essential on long hauls - even the most finely-tuned machine will let you down if it's overstretched. To make a pit stop, calculate whether you can afford the time and pull into the signposted detour points. Then sit back and watch someone else do all the hard work...

There are three principal courses to traverse, offering you the chance to sample the visual delights of everything from mid-European architecture to the sleek lines of an American concrete and glass jungle. If you do well enough, you get the chance to tackle three more 'secret' versions of the original courses which are expanded and augmented for added difficulty.

Albatross Cliff Reef presents a breezy Mediterranean landscape. The view is complemented by some giant Easter Island-style head statues which stare impassively at you from the roadside.

The Great Crimson Wall course is perhaps the most impressive, with Disneyland spires and billowing flags to admire as you skid around corners. On your final lap, balloons are launched skyward.

New Dwells sees you negotiate the tight city streets of a concrete metropolis. Zoom under the flyovers and past the sky-scrapers, admiring the huge red suspension bridge on the way.

The first thing that strikes you about this is the quality of its appearance - photo-realistic mountain ranges form the backdrop to fast-moving roadways.

Everything is well realised with a minimum of clipping that sets this in a different league from Daytona, if not quite in the Premier Division of the forthcoming Sega Rally.

Had the control and appearance of your bike on the screen matched the quality of the background and 3D graphics then everything would have been swell. Sadly, your angular-wheeled dream machine leans alarmingly at the slightest influence of the joypad, and any collisions or bumps reduce you to a juddery pinball, bouncing all over the road. You're left with a fast-moving travelogue that's best admired from a distance.

This game produced a mini-argument in the office about its overall score - not because it's good, but sadly because it's a bit dodgy. The motorbike looks like it's stuck to the floor with super glue, and the only thing that seems to move is the background.

However, the backgrounds do move in an impressive way, creating the impression of a very fast-moving game. At the end of the day though, when I built up a lot of speed I'd clip the side and stack my bike in spectacular fashion.

Even if I didn't write the machine off, I'd be pranged around from side to side like an Arielette in a washing machine. This could have been the surprise title of the year, but unfortunately it's just crap.

Graphics 88%
P. Backdrops are detailed, buildings look solid and there is rich variety between the courses.
N. Your bike looks like it's made of Lego.

Animation 86%
P. The courses and all their tourist attractions are superb, and fairly clipping-free.
N. Your bike seems curiously static.

Music 70%
N. This is yet another game saddled with endless 'widdly widdly' pseudo heavy metal guitar solos. Horrible.

Effects 74%
N. The bike engine does sound a bit like a fly caught in a bottle.

Playability 78%
P. Generally hampered by the over-eager leaning motion of your bike, but otherwise fairly satisfying and even exhilarating in places.

Lastability 80%
P. The 'secret' course and bike provide some incentive to complete this.
N. The variety is mainly visual, and the control remains untrue.

Overall 79%
Corners have been cut, and what could have been a brilliant game is sadly compromised.