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Now is your chance to put on your wet suit and compete in championship water skiing. No knowledge of water skiing is necessary to play this game, which is lucky because all I know about water skiing is that you don't need a sloping lake to do it.

The game opens with a menu screen where you set up the game. Up to three people can play in three different water skiing events. The three events are the slalom, the jump and the figures.

Event one is the slalom which is the most difficult of the three. You must ski between the gate and then weave outside the remaining buoys. The rope which links you to the boat must be extended as you reach the buoys in order to get around it. The rope then has to be shortened so that you reach the next buoy fast enough. Timing when to press the key to extend the rope is the most difficult part.

In the jump, you first must set your speed so that you hit the ramp. The screen then changes to show a side view of the ramp and a magnified view of you flying in the top left of the screen. You must then keep yourself upright so that you make a good landing, otherwise under the surf you go! You have three attempts at the jump and score points according to the distance you jumped.

Last are the figures. The screen is split into two parts. One shows the view of your skier from the rear of the speed boat, and the other shows a side view of the course with the boat and skier on it. There are two stages to the course - each last 20 seconds. During this time you perform a variety of manoeuvers to score points. The manoeuvers can be done either in the middle of the boat's wake or to the side of the wake. Performing the figures is difficult until you get used to it,. but they do become easier with practice.

You can either play the events individually or try all three in sequence. If you play the three in sequence then when the three events are finished a score is shown and you return to the menu screen.

Tne graphics are large and colourful and the backgrounds are detailed. There are some good title tunes, but no music actually plays during the game. Sound during the game is limited to spot effects.

Championship Water Skiing is more of a simulation than a game. If you have always wanted to try water skiing, but never had the money, then this could be a drier alternative for you.

70m jump, get round 6 buoys and 4,000 points in the figures.

I was disappointed at first by what seemed a very simplistic game - nothing seemed to happen in the jump or figures and I couldn't get anywhere in the slalom. However, after getting the rhythm of the slalom it becomes the most interesting and testing of the events. The other two aren't as good, but together the three events make an enjoyable and novel sports simulation.

No problems.

Graphics 90%
P. Large, well-animated skier.
N. Colourful screens for all three events.

Sonics 65%
P. Good tunes on title screen.
N. Not much in-game sound.

Grab Factor 73%
P. Enjoyable when you know how.
N. Very difficult to begin with.

Staying Power 61%
P. Slalom may keep your interest
N. The other two events are a bit easy.

Overall 66%
P. Novel type of game.
N. Probably won't keep you hooked for long.