BIGBOX THRILLS!

What's the best way to catch up on all the great games that appeared on the Spectrum a while back. One: go out and buy every single one and spend a fortune? Tow: pop around to your mate's house and nick his copies? Or three: take a trip down to your local software shop and snap up one of the great new compilations? Well, one's only for the stupid, two's only for complete basts, so it must be three! NICK ROBERTS gives you the low-down on the current hits in compilation land!

Code Masters
£2.99

At that sort of price you can't go wrong, really. All the packs are themed but that doesn't mean there's a lack of variety because there's plenty of different game styles to contend with (you would not believe it, etc etc...).

Quattro Racers is the latest pack around and features BMX 2, Championship Jet Ski, ATV Sim, and BMX Freestyle. Plenty of fast-paced arcade action here and all of them good titles!

REPLAY

Out goes Barg B, and in comes something nearly exactly the same (but covering the rereleases). PILLAR AND PELLEY remain your hosts.

CodeMasters
£2.99 cass
Reviewer: Jon Pillar

Oh dear. It's that word again - 'simulator'. Hold your breath, we're going in...

BMX SIMULATOR 2

Now here's a game that pokes you in the ribs and whispers "playability". Essentially Supersprint with bikes, BMX 2's presentation is snappier than a croc in a mousetrap. It's got funky music and graphics, action replays of races, two skill levels and a (separately loaded) set of harder courses. Pride of place though, goes to the four (four! Four!) player mode. It's not flawless (it's very difficult to tell who's who during a race) but as a communal game it could replace Triv as the perfect way to ruin parties.

CHAMPIONSHIP JET SKI SIMULATOR

Essentially BMX 2 on water, with two human players and the added obstacle of numbered buoys to steer between. Thoroughly polished, with teeny (but thankfully very clear) graphics, Jet Ski is bright and cheerful. The tight qualifying times make it harder than it should be. but that's not a problem.

BMX FREESTYLE SIMULATOR

Essentially Jet Ski without water, on bikes and completely different gameplay. Freestyle pops you (and a pal) into an informal 'street' contest, where you display your skill at wheelies, ramp. half-pipe and quarter-pipe jumps, slow racing and freestyle riding. It looks okay and sounds okay. but after half an hour I still couldn't get past the first test. So either it's ludicrously difficult or I'm just plain crap. (Thankyou, you're too kind.)

ATV SIMULATOR

A tasty little two-player racer, simply brimming with obstacles to lumber over. You progress through six terrains (sand dunes to swamp), all of which are displayed with the liveliest graphics this side of Iron Man. It's got a generous time limit and plenty of great touches (like the way you have to scamper back to your ATV after you've hit a rock and cartwheeled off it). All in all, ridiculously playable.

A pretty good compilation then, well above par. Alt the games are (weirdly) up to the mark (if a tad difficult) and if you've got chums coming round then this is the tape to whip out. You've guessed it - it's a YS Megagame Simulator.