One of the most realistic arcade machines ever to take your dosh became an amazing home computer game back in January 1990 and earned itself a Crash Smash with 92%. Now this mega game is on re-release from The Hit Squad!

There are two action-packed courses to choose from, the speed track and the stunt track. Choose the former then zoom around to the check point in the shortest time possible.

The stunt track's a different kettle of fish altogether: open bridges, banking curves, steep hills and loop-the-loops are all lurking on the course. The speeds you take obstacles at are restricted, too - go too fast over the bridge and you won't touch the other side.

The great thing about Hard Drivin' is, once you've smashed the car into a pulp, you get an action replay from above so you can see exactly where you went wrong - or have a good laugh!

This is a damn good version, the coin-op's three dimensional landscapes excellently recreated. The big advantage the Spectrum version has over other formats is that by holding down the space bar the steering wheel's locked and the car goes forwards instead of sliding all over the road. This little feature doesn't make the game much easier - it just saves your sanity!

Hard Drivin' is one of the best arcade conversions I've ever played. If you're a fan of car racing games or addicted to the coin-op, give this a whirl - you won't be disappointed.