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Yew take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll get to Stoneybridge before yew, and why? Because I've got a Muddy Fox mountain bike and you've only got a spazzy Chopper with broken gears. What ho!

Unfortunately Mountain Bike Simulator gets off to a bad start, the graphics don't immediately impress and the gameplay seems far too simple. However we mustn't judge a book by it's cover and you'll find that once you've played Mountain Bike Sim for or fifteen minutes (and have mastered the riding technique) it can get reasonably addictive. Indeed this little Match Stick Man on his Kinder Surprise bicycle could easily become a cult character if he was properly marketed, I mean if Fido Dido can reach the limelight then why can't Match stick Mountain Bike Rider?

The rider himself is a small but detailed sprite and all movements including acceleration and deceleration are smoothly and realistically animated. The 2D landscapes feature plain backgrounds underneath a prominent game logo, but unfortunately this logo can be a little distracting, as it always looks as though it's going to get in the way when Bikey does a big jump. The rough, tough race tracks are littered with gravel, long grass, awkward bumps and boulders, log piles and broken bridges. Each level is progressively more difficult and precise bicycle control is called for at all times.

Obstacles are often hard to make out the first time you traverse a level because they may be hidden, however practice makes perfect and you'll soon be sailing through the various race tracks like a mountain goat with a rocket-powered jet pack attached to his bum.

Sound is quite sparse throughout the game which is useful because desolate mountains are not usually noted for their abundance of Spectrum bleeps. If you crash while on the course there is a crunching metallic sound but it's not overly dramatic.

Gameplay is where Mountain Bike is at it's best. Not only do you have quick response to controls with quick wheelies and jumps available and good brakes (essential), but whenever your rider falls off his mount the program puts him back in a sensible position rather than right in front of the obstacle again. This sounds so simple but think of the amount of games that are frustrating because they don't do this.

Mountain Bike Simulator is devastatingly simple in concept and looks a bit daft at first but it's very easy to warm to this jolly little range rambler. The sprite (with a bit of imagination), is very lifelike and the hills are quite challenging. It's good to see Codemasters developing a game like this when it could just as easily have been yet another cluttered vertical or horizontally scrolling racing game with a few howitzers attached in a vain attempt at originality.

Label: Codemasters Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape, N/A Disk Reviewer: Alan Dykes

An absorbing game that's so simple but oh-so precise. It wore the cycling shorts off me but is well worth a budget bash. Watch out for the saddle sores though.