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Leap, srroing, eeek! If I had to sum up a game in three words then this meagre trio of words could encapsulate the whole ethos of Hopping Mad. But would anyone want to buy a game that could be summed up so easily? My guess is that they wouldn't but let's have a look at it anyway...

Four balls bounce across the screen from right to left in a line (looking like a disjointed and it's your task to guide them as they sproing on their way by speeding up their progress, slowing them down and using the fire button to make them all bounce higher. So far, so bad but wait, what's that in the distance? Is it a plot, is it a game, no you daft bugger it's just some gnashing plants, some fat birds (I'd hate to stand under any of them 'cos they look full of food and in need of a toilet) some bees who may or may not have been playing with the birds, some cacti, hedgehogs and a load of big balls, all of which prove fatal if a ball catches them. Loose a life and one of your balls blows up (coff, chortle). Points you have to get by collecting balloons and apples.

Well that's it. There's not much to the game and so I'm going to have the problems of a one-armed weight lifter with an itchy bottom to write much more about it. Apart from the fact that I could tell you about the smooth scrolling, the okay graphics, the ease of gameplay: and the mind-boggling boredom of it all. But I won't. I'll just say that Encore have enough good games on their budget label to sink a small wooden boat so either go and find one of them (Buggy Boy, Paperboy etc) or just go out and sink a small wooden boat. You'll have far more tun and capers and be able to get back to Aunties in time for tea and a slap up feed!

Label: Encore Price: £2.99 Reviewer: Garth Sumpter

Leap, sproing, eek yourself to boredom with one of Encore's worst releases.