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This must be a first - a five-player racing game! Yes, indeedee, grab a PC Engine five-player adaptor, slap in your joypads and you can take on another four drivers at the same time with hilarious results. It doesn't look stunning, with an overhead view of five blocky cars and a simple race track. But as seems to be the case with all PC Engine games, it plays very well - and that's what's most important.

At the start of the game, up to five players input their names, and a preview of the track is shown, so you can get some ideas of the hazards to come. Then the players take turns to buy extra equipment from a $5,000 budget. There are plenty of extra things to buy - brakes, engines and special weapons to blow the opposition off the rack.

As the cars zoom down the multi-directionally scrolling track, it's inevitable that the incompetent drivers get left behind - if this happens and they touch the end of the screen, the car is warped forward to the middle of the screen. If this happens to you, your warp total decreases by one (usually you have 40 of these 'lives'), and when you've used up all the warps, the game ends.

Points and cash are awarded at the finish of the race - the better your finishing position, the more spondoolicks you get. And, of course, it you continue to do well, you can kit your car out with better equipment.

In one-player mode, the game is still very enjoyable and addictive, with four competent computer opponents. Of course, multi-player is where the game really comes into its own - and you soon find out who your friends really are!!

Speed fiends are recommended to take Moto Roader for a test drive.