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Just when you thought it was safe to pick up a joystick eight new sporting events appear to challenge you in a round the world compilation.

Russia is the first stop and a chance to challenge the champions of the iron game at their own sport. Two different weight-lifting events are ready to test your skills, the snatch and the clean and jerk. Up and down joystick movements need to be timed well to complete the lifting movements to ensure that you don't collapse in a heap and get the white lights from the judges.

In competition the key is deciding when to increase the weights (shown on screen as the dumbells get bigger) to knock out your opponents without straining yourself.

After a quick flight to Germany it's time to take part in a 300 year old sport, barrel jumping. The contestants have three attempts to leap the highest number barrels lined up on the ice rink.

Synchronised joystick waggling is the hint for this event to get as much speed as possible so you clear the barrels in time for a good landing. Get it wrong and you'll hurt more than your pride.

Flying all the way to Mexico just to hurl yourself off a cliff may sound over the top but it's because cliff diving is the next event in these global games.

Six ledges test your nerve and your skill as you plummet into the depths of the sea below. If you mistime your leap you could impale yourself on the rocks below. To impress the judges in your three attempts and take the gold, you need to dice with danger and dive with style.

The next event is another downhill plummet; only this time it's a slalom down the ski slopes of France.

A course fraught with peril and studded with gates to be negotiated really tests your skill. Miss too many gates and the penalty times will put you out of contention but if you hit a gate head on or the side of the course you'll be wiped out.

Next stop is Canada and a round of river log rolling in which you must walk the log so that your opponent takes the plunge. You must time your joystick moves to keep in step while unbalancing your opponent. Whoever loses his balance first becomes dinner for the sharks. Best of three decides the contest.

Further north in America Ferdinand, Elmer, Bob and Tornado await your arrival. They're bulls that you have to ride in a rodeo. The bulls will try to buck, spin and stop to try and unseat you. You have to counter its moves to stay on as long as you can.

No global games would be complete without a trip to the heather of Scotland and a chance to toss the caber.

Timed left and right joystick movements will start your run (after a quick jig to the bagpipes) and then you must toss the caber so the log flips over one complete turn and doesn't land on your head or your foot! This is probably the hardest event to master and the most painful to watch.

The final stop in our eight event and 24,000 mile trip is the battle of the blubber as two sumo wrestlers battle to shove each other out of the ring.

As the two 400 pound warriors size each other up, you have a chance to revise the moves to push, slap and grab your opponent. If executed correctly you could manage a spectacular throw and another gold medal.

World Games is the latest in the series of conversions of Epyx games that featured Summer Games II and Winter Games. This Spectrum version has been coded by Irish programmers, Choice (who were responsible for the superb Hardball) and have added qualiity to the graphics and animation that was missing from the others. If you're a joystick athlete you can't afford to miss this one.

A Monster Hit.