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Jet Bike Simulator is the first game in the Codemasters Plus range. The major difference between normal games and the Plus range is that you get two tapes in the box rather than one. One tape contains two versions of the game: the standard version and the expert version.

This latest "simulator" is similar to Grand Prix Simulator but puts you on the water instead. In competition with three other jet bikes, you have to go through a series of gates and complete a set number of laps of a course. The second tape contains data that can be loaded into either of the versions to provide twelve more courses. The difference between the standard and expert versions of the game are that, in the standard game, you have to finish the course within a pre-set time limit and in the expert you have to avoid finishing last.

The screen is split into two areas: the play area and the status panel. The status panel either shows the amount of time elapsed or your position in the race, depending on which version of the game you're playing. The rest of the screen shows an overhead view of the course with the four jet bikes. The bikes that are not controlled by players are computer-operated drones.

There's a simultaneous two player option so that you can compete against another player. To complete a circuit of the course you must do the required number of laps passing through the five numbered gates. If you don't go through all the gates then you're disqualified. At the end of the race you're awarded points depending on your position and, if you qualified, you go on to the next course. After every race is completed you can opt for an action replay of it. When you've completed all six courses the computer prompts you to load one of the other data tapes. You can also load the other courses in at any time from the options screen.

Not only do you have to compete against other racers, but there are also static hazards that get in your way. There are weeds, pontoon bridges, jumps and the edges of the course. Weeds slow your bike down because of their clinging effects and make it more difficult to accelerate. Sometimes there are pairs of jumps that you have to leap across and building up enough speed is not easy. If you avoid the jumps and go around them then you're slowed down considerably. The other hazards just bring you to an abrupt halt and you bounce off.

As with previous Oliver Twins games, there is some digitised speech that welcomes you to the game. Sound in the game is limited and quite poor. The jet bikes are small and indistinct, making them difficult to pick out when they're all in a pack. The course graphics lack colour but they are detailed and varied between the three sets of courses.

The game as a whole is enjoyable, if frustrating at times, and the extra courses give it a longer lease of life. There are some irritating features, the way that you can collide with another player's jet bike, but not with the drones, for example. Collision detection is poor too.

A must for fans of Grand Prix Simulator but they can't keep doing simulators for long, can they?

Complete the standard lake courses.

Not a game for the easily frustrated, but certainly one for those who like a highly demanding driving game. All it is really is GPS with a lot more skidding on the turns.

It's nice to have more opponents, but continually bumping into the other human opponent in a two player game is extremely annoying. It's probably worth the extra money, even though the expert version is just a change of qualifying criteria, rather than a change in game difficulty. A good start to the Plus range, it will be interesting to see how it continues.

No playing problems.

Graphics 67%
P. Pretty backdrops that lack colour.
N. Tiny little jet bikes don't make it any easier to play.

Sonics 34%
P. Digitised speech.
N. Poor in-game effects.

Grab Factor 74%
P. Bikes respond well to controls.
N. Poor collision detection is irritating.

Staying Power 66%
P. 18 courses to do at two skill levels.
N. Even with 18 courses it quickly gets repetitive.

Overall 70%
P. A good start to the Plus range.