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Many reviews tell you that certain games are addictive, but I'd given up all hope of finding one, until I met Jumping Jack!

Eight moving platforms stretch across the screen at various levels. As the levels move, they reveal large gaps, through which Jack can jump, to reach the top of the screen, or fall, and lie with stars circling his head.

If you try jumping when there isn't a gap, the result is much the same.

Each time you reach the top, you start on a new screen of platforms, but not only are there more gaps, you are chased by an amazing assortment of animated objects, trains, axes and a flying witch - to name but three!

Each time you complete a screen, you are also rewarded with two lines of a poem, which according to the blurb, is forty lines long, so there's plenty to keep you at it.

The program is very well executed with genuinely animated graphics, including Jack himself. He falls, jumps, runs and lies stunned with great realism. And it's very amusing to watch him run across the screen pursued by a train (though it won't do much for your score)!

Perhaps the addictive element is that the game appears to be so simple, you feel just one more go will give you that ace unbeatable score.

D.M.