Producer: Silverbird
Shurikens Cost: £1.99 cass

Another tough Ninja battles his way through a series of action-packed screens - but this time it's on a kiddies' scooter. (I think maybe Silverbird are taking the Michael out of Code Masters with the darling title of this game.) Clearly this is no ordinary Ninja; not only does he know how to perform an elegant back flip, he's also one wicked mother when it comes to scooter stunts. To prove his status, he accepts a challenge to whizz through the night on his Dream Scooter, pulling some rad stunts as he attempts to avoid the many obstacles in his path.

The decidedly whacky title prepared me for a decidedly trashy game. In fact, Ninja Scooter Simulator is well presented with clear isometric 3-D graphics and smooth horizontal scrolling. A timer ticks down as you leap and bound over ramps, whilst avoiding numerous grates, walls, and even skeletons on skateboards the litter the path. If the timer reaches zero and you haven't reached the end of a course, it's the end of the game. So-will the coolest Ninja west of the Rad Lands of Ji fail the test, or will he beat the rest? Only you can tell...

But I found it very playable and great fun as you zoom up the ramps and leap high into the air. It's a pity that what could have been a great game is spoilt by the astonishing lack of difficulty - it's just too easy to progress through each level with plenty of time to spare. The many speed squares which really give some amazing turbo acceleration make the whole process even simpler. This low level of difficulty might well appeal to younger players but for more experienced mega-scorers, the lack of any challenge means that the initial appeal soon fades.

PHIL ... 70%

THE ESSENTIALS
JOYSTICK: Kempston, Sinclair
SOUND: simple spot FX
OPTIONS: definable keys. Two-player option

After I had recovered from the surprise of seeing a big burly Ninja on a kiddies' scooter, I found the game playable enough. The graphics are reasonably detailed, though some are on the more simplistic side. But it's gameplay that counts, and Ninja Scooter Simulator certainly has enough to keep most people going in the short term. I've a few doubts as to long term lastability, but at the price - who really cares? Overall, a fast and frantic race to establish your street cred as the best Ninja stuntman in the world.
MARK [71%]

BARGAIN BASEMENT

And down in the Cheapies Emporium this wee (nothing over £3 considered), is Bristol's answer to Billy Idol, Nat Pryce!

Firebird
£1.99
Reviewer: Nat Pryce

Firebird must have a real winner here - ninjas, scooters and simulation games are all real trendy right now, so Ninja Scooter Simulator will sell by the million, even though it has nothing whatsoever to do with Ninjas or simulators. Ninja Scooter Simulator is actually a rip off of Metrocross.

You must scoot across from left to right along several courses, dodging various obstacles, such as walls, holes and bouncing skulls (!!). Some objects help you, giving you extra time or turbo speed and you can use ramps to perform 'rad Ninja stunts'. But you must time your leaps carefully or you'll end up doing yourself a ninjary.

There's been a cheapo game like this released before, called Star Runner or something, but this game is far superior. The graphics and presentation are first class and it's both very playable and pretty addictive.