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Everybody has their favourite cartoon characters. For some it's Tom and Jerry, others swear by the Pink Panther, but for me nothing could match the blank look of resignation on Wile E. Coyote's face seconds after he has eaten a whole bag of Acme earthquake pills and decided that perhaps this wasn't such a neat idea after all.

As with many of the most endearing, and enduring, cartoons, Road Runner relies on the simple, but effective, one against one theme, for its success.

Every plot involves Coyote chasing Road Runner but never quite catching him, always being thwarted by Road Runner's superior speed and cunning, or tripping over this own ineptitude.

So has Road Runner ST, converted from the arcade, captured the atmosphere of the cartoon? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Although Road Runner is by all accounts a simple game, it nevertheless possesses all the pre-requisites of an addictive, fast-moving arcade romp.

The game has four basic levels which are repeated, with added extras, for levels five to eight, nine to twelve, etc. In each level, you control Road Runner as he tries to gobble as many piles of bird seed as he can, without getting nabbed by Coyote.

Of course, life is never that simple, and soon Road Runner has to contend with falling boulders, mines and other hazards that we know and love from the cartoon series.

Each level is comprised of a horizontally orientated map anything from eight to above twelve screens wide, and one screen high. The action is seen from an elevated side-view and the ultra-smooth scroll follows the movement or Road Runner across the map from right to left.

By making the foreground scroll, while leaving the background static, the game is given a feeling of depth which, in part, offsets the rather simplistic, stylised foreground graphics.

Level one starts by introducing us to the two main characters in the game, namely Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. As each is presented, their Latin name is displayed beneath them. These, often hilarious, names change from game to game.

With the formalities over, it's down to the serious business of scoffing bird seed. Level one begins with a meandering road full of neat little piles of seed. At that back of the first screen is a cave, cut into the rock. At the moment, there is a board, nailed across the cave's entrance. The board says "closed"!

As Road Runner begins collecting the seed, he has to avoid not only Coyote but also a series of trucks that rush along the road from left to right. If you get run over, you lose a life, but if you can lure Coyote into the path of an oncoming truck, you get a bonus.

A bonus is also awarded if you eat every pile of seed. If you miss five piles, Road Runner will faint and lose a life.

The road soon turns into a cliff path, full of hair-pin bends that slows Road Runner down if he runs too close to the edge. If you manage to get to the end of the cliff path it's on to level two.

Having failed in level one, Coyote resorts to various gadgets, in level two, to help him nab you.

The most obvious difference between levels one and five is the introduction of mines which blow up when stepped on. The bad news is that mines are normally to be found right next to seed, making eating a much more precarious business than before.

When you start your next game, and providing you got past level one, the cave, rememeber the cave, will no longer be blocked. It can now be used as a short cut to the last level played in the previous game - very useful!

With typical cartoon-like chase music, excellent sprite design and animation, and simple but effective gameplay, Road Runner will make a worthy addition to any ST arcaders collection.