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Hi Bouncer is one of Mirrorsoft's line of arcade games featuring none other than the Mr. Men. Doesn't sound very promising, doesn't it? And it's not...

You get four screens for your money in which you have to help out various Mr. Men in distress. Mr. Tail can't reach down to pick up his scarf, Mr. Lazy can't be bothered to finish his house, Mr. Bump is too bruised to pick any more fruit off the trees, and finally Mr. Snow is mealting because of lack of shade. In each case Mr. Bounce has to come cartwheeling to the rescue. If he touches anything, he goes off like a balloon with the air rushing out of it.

The pack claims that "it's easy - for the first five seconds", but I'd contest that and say it's a lot easier than that. The practice version has seven levels of difficulty, the lowest of which is so slow, that it's like watching paint dry. The arcade option is fast, but once you've mastered what's required tactically - and you don't exactly need a doctorate in nuclear physics to suss it - the game loses what little appeal it ever had. The graphics are simple - like kindergarten pictures - and the sound poor, with a lousy lalala tune.

Basically, it's too childish for anything but very young children to play. Who wants to play with Mr. Men when you can obliterate the Kremlin? And if it is intended for young children, which is doubtful, because nothing on the pack suggests that it is, then it's still a waste of time because such games should have an educational angle to them. The only thing Hi Bouncer will teach you is just how wet the Mr. Men are!