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The object of the game is to achieve the fastest time riding a motorcycle over three obstacle courses selected from a set of eight.

Obstacles include stationary vehicles, water, rough ground, walls and tyres, and each must be taken at an appropriate speed of you will crash, dropping to the bottom of the track and remaining at minimum speed to the end of the current obstacle.

Speed can be assessed from the changing sound of your motor, and is controlled by right/left movement of the joysticks.

Wheelies are generated by pushing forward, and you can jump by pressing the Fire button. Pressing the Space bar pauses the game. There is also a high score table.

My young users panel, aged 7 and 9, took to it immediately and delighted in driving the motorcycles widely, enjoying the animation of the bikes, the riders spinning off in crashes, the wheelies and the jumps.

They were enthralled and did not notice the slightly jerky horizontal scrolling.

Once the initial excitement died down the competitive element became apparent, and this is the game's real strength.

Two players can race on identical tracks, one in the top half of the screen and the other below.

Overall, the game is fun, compelling and challenging and with eight different tracks it will take time to attain real mastery.

Kik Start will provide entertainment for all computer game fans except expert arcade addicts who might find it too easy. What a pity it's not available on disc!