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Kikstart isn't a great game, but it is very good value for money - it's only £1.99. Whilst other software houses have been increasing prices, Mastertronic has continued to produce games at such a low price that you can buy four or five tapes for the price of one from most manufacturers.

In this game, your task is to guide your scrambler bike through a combination of obstacles. There are water jumps, barrels, tyres, rough ground, gates, walls, pot holes and ups and downs of all descriptions. You can select your course by choosing a sequence of three of the eight various laps, that's 512 different combinations. The controls are accelerate, decelerate, wheelie and jump. It takes swift reactions and exact timing not to be taking flying leaps, minus your bike. Those spills mean you lose time before you can get going again.

There are three options - one player with joystick or keyboard, two players - one joystick the other keyboard and two players, both with joysticks. You get a horizontally split screen for the two riders - even if it's a one player game. There's optional musical accompaniment, fast load, adequate graphics and a fastest time league table. Apart from upgrading the game to very hi-resolution graphics, I can't really see what else you could ask for!! So, if money is short you could do a lot worse than Kickstart.

B.J.