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As the well-printed documentation will tell you, "in the 48K game Wheelie you have just taken delivery of the fastest thing on two wheels"; namely the Zedexaki 500. During a quick span on the road you happen to see a sign saying Private Road - no speed limit to brave riders. Being the hero you undoubtedly are, you enter the sinster driveway only to discover that the gates have shut behind you and that you are imprisoned in a labyrinth of horrifying alleys infested with hedgehogs, kangaroos and terrifying birds (all trained in karate of course). As well as the undesirable fauna there are other dangers in store, such as spectacular jumps (over buses or cars) and bricks which you must 'wheelie' over; not to mention perilous slopes, patches of dangerous ice and unexpected dead-ends. There are only a few petrol stations so you have to watch the revs a bit while you speed about.

On the screen there is a cross-sectional view of four roads at the most, and these are connected by steep slopes which can be used by pressing the 'up' and 'down' key, according to whether you wish to travel uphill or downhill. To attain the next level you must first find the 'ghostrider', who will be a few miles of your original starting point, and then race him back to the start. If you succeed in beating him he will tell you a code which allows you to jump to the next level, of which there are five. Although the game is hard, it provides an excellent challenge to the budding Hell's Angel!

The graphics are fantastic especially if you crash. For example, if you go too fast down a slope the bike will cartwheel and crush you under its fuel-injected engine; and if you go too slowly over a car-jump you will be thrown over the handlebars. At the beginning I found myself crashing on purpose just to see the amazing effects! As well as this there is a good use of colour and a constant engine revving sounds which is very authentic, and adds to the brilliance of this game from Microsphere.

Kempston, Protek or AGF joysticks can be used and if you possess none of these, there is a routine for defining your own keys which is very helpful indeed.

On the whole, Wheelie has all the properties of a bestseller and is great value for money. It combines excellent graphics with stunning sound to create one of the best and most addictive games I have ever seen for the Spectrum.