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Cliff Hanger is the first real attempt to turn a cartoon into a computer game maintaining the feel of animation.

The cartoon chosen is reminiscent of Road Runner and any second you are expecting your C64 to go "Beep beep".

The objective of the game is to kill the Bandito who is running up the valley taking pot shots at you. The screens are generated randomly and offer you a variety of ways of getting even with Bandito.

Most of these involve dropping some sort of heavy weight on him from your vantage point on the ridge above the valley road.

Other screens offer you boomerangs, cannons, see-saw boulder mechanisms, and even bombs to dislodge other boulders.

At first the game appears to be ridiculously simple until you realise after playing it for several hours that you haven't splattered the little B once.

It'll take quite a few goes to lob a boulder onto the Bandit's head but when you finally succeed, it doesn't half feel good.

The game is moderately amusing and a brave attempt to try something different. Somehow though - it doesn't quite work.

I found it repetitive and lacking any real challenge - not really a game for the experienced player.

One day cartoon animation will make computer graphics a thing of the past as far as games are concerned. But before that happens, all micros will have to be compatible with cheap, fast, laser disk units.

Attempting cartoon games without this technology is like trying to play Mozart on the spoons.