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Ike and Billy-Joe are just two ordinary boys making a living for themselves by transporting some home-stilled whisky across State lines to the local bar boss, Old Man Tucker.

"Things aren't all finger lickin' good though, Sheriff Fat Sam has taken it upon himself to stop this illegal traffic - whatever the cost. Sounds like something out of a Burt Reynolds movie? Nope, this is where Chase HQ meets The Dukes Of Hazzard.

Programmed by Pete Hickinson and Bill Higgins - who are now collectively known as Peakstar Software, but in a previous life were responsible for Teque's interpretations of Chase HQ and Continental Circus - Moonshine Racers attempts to take the high-speed racing genre established by those two classics and bounce it of the wall until it smiles.

So climb into the driving seat with Ike and Billy-Joe and put the pedal to the metal in an attempt to beat both the clock and the other moonshine racers. Along the way you have to avoid trees, holes, oil, fences - and, of course, Fat Sam - if you want to be able to soup up your truck to the limit and make a little extra cash on the side.

You know that you're in for a less than serious time as soon as the intro sequence loads in and the thigh-slappin' hillbilly banjo music kicks out from your speakers. But unfortunately the game never quite lives up to this early promise. It's not that this twist on the classic Chase HQ theme fails to raise a smile - quite the opposite in fact - it's just that the action itself never quite generates anything like the excitement that pushing an old flatbed truck to its limits to escape the chubby arms of the law should do.

Maybe it's that the Sheriff isn't really that much of a threat, maybe it's that the other moonshine runners aren't up to the job, or maybe it's that it's all too easy to complete the job without destroying the truck - whatever it is, there's definitely something lacking.

On the plus side though, the 'rough and ready' nature of the vehicles and gameplay makes it far easier to get into than most racing games, the sound is superb and the abounding humour is just enough to keep it jollying along. If only there'd been a little bit more made of the moonshine running aspect - Ike letting rip with his shotgun and the Sheriff returning fire, for example - then this could have been the variation we've all been waiting for on the race and chase theme.

Although the score has been composed by the same person who provided the Amiga music, Richard Joseph, the poor old ST can't really cope with the demands made by plucking banjo strings. This apart, expect the same game.

The banjos are back - but only if you're loaded up with a Roland or AdLib. Also IBM-compatible Moonshine Racers will need at least EGA graphics to run: those people equipped with anything less will have to stay on the right side of the law.