Impulze
£10.99 cass, £15.99 disk

G'day cobbers, it's time to throw a couple of steaks on the barbie and crack open a tinnle 'cos Neighbours the computer game is here (the first person to sing the Neighbours tune will be nursing a fat lip).

The game's set in everyone's favourite street on a very hot day. Several of the more adventurous characters decide to hold a friendly race so you stand in the trainers of Scott Robinson (who hasn't been in the programme for ages) and trundle about on his beloved skateboard against four of his pals (who gives a Castlemaine XXXX?).

These are Charlene Ramsey, Henry Ramsey, Mike Young (who all haven't been in the programme for ages) and Matt Robinson, each racing in a different vehicle. Charlene's in a go-kart, Henry's on a tractor-lawnmower, Mike's on a skateboard and Matt's borrowed Mike's motorbike.

Not all of Ramsey Street's inhabitants are in favour of the race, including Mrs Mangel (who hasn't...), Todd Landers, Bouncer the dog, Harold Bishop (moany old git) and even Skippy the kangaroo and his mates, who've escaped from the local zoo.

There are eight individual races set over four locations, two in each location: Ramsey Street, Lassiter's Complex, Erinsborough High and Anson's Corner. You first choose between a normal and fast skateboard then specify the number of obstacles and contenders (1-4). Of course, contact with any obstacles knocks down the old energy bar, but there are collectable goodies scattered around to replenish flagging spirits.

I can't say Neighbours, the game, particularly impressed me. I've watched the TV show a couple of times but didn't recognise any of the character sprites in the game. It's the type of terribly simple game where you just rush round avoiding obstacles (wake me up when it's my turn, someone).

In short, Neighbours wouldn't be great value for money even on a budget label; at full price it's a rip-off.

Impulze
£3.99 cass
Reviewer: James Leach

Right. Like I've always said, I don't have time for watching TV or any of that nonsense. So these Australian soaps pass me by completely. Fair enough, you might say, but now I've got to review a game of one! Help!

Okay, in this Neighbours game, Mrs Jason Mangel (played by Crag Charles) is both Home And Away in Cell Block H when he asks Kylie Sullivan (a Young Flying Doctor with Sons And Daughters) getting in some Country Practice near Sydney, to marry him. A tad flimsy, one might say.

Actually, its all a big pretence. I admit it, I watch Neighbours. And that confusion above was actually simulated. So if you'll allow me to be serious for a moment, you'll find out exactly what Neighbours - the game is about.

You play Scott Robinson and his skateboard, the two are inseparable. (Who? Ed) You know, the one who was played by our beloved Jase. (Oh, him. Ed) You have to pick a character to race against around the streets of Erinsborough. Typically, your racing partner will be someone who used to be in the show, but has since left or been killed.

If you're feeling rather more confident, you can pick up to four other bods to try and beat. The trouble here is that if you're behind them, they get in the way, and if you're in front, they catch up and then get in the way.

GREAT SCOTT!

Yes, you are. But you still need to swing the odds in your favour. You've got two skateboards hanging in your garage. One is your everyday kind of board and the other one's a bit speedier. The normal one is the more controllable, so it should see you to the end of the race, but it isn't especially quick. The main problem with the speedy one is that is a bit hard to master. Not only is it dangerously speedy, but it slides round the corners with all the grace of an elephant on a bob-sleigh. So which do you go for? It's a bit of a dilemma, as I'm sure you'll agree.

When you start up the game you've got to pick an obstacle level, you've got a choice of three ranging from easy to, erm, hard. The easy one has a few people walking in the way, along with the odd bollard. The hardest is nigh-on impossible, with hundreds of Mrs Mangels getting under your wheels.

Zeppelin have gone for an isometric 3D view of the proceedings. This looks pretty good but makes it hard to control your skateboard. You have to pull down to move in a diagonal direction, rather than straight down. No, you have to move diagonally to pull down and across, no you pull across from diagonal to diagonal... oh I don't know how you do it.

I do know that if you hold down the fire button you get a huge burst of speed. Useful for getting through the pack as you wiggle vainly through the diagonals.

HAS IT GOT THAT ANNOYING THEME TUNE?

Well, no. It has another tune which, although totally unlike the Neighbours one, is equally as annoying. It goes dum-dee-dee-dee-diddle-dee. Or something like that. In fact it's a little like Elgar's Enigma Variations, which go sort of dum-pom-tiddle-iddle-pom-pim.

Right, well to sum up Neighbours, it's a rather entertaining 3D scroller with a quirky control system and the most frustrating obstacles to get round ever. If you're the sort of bod who never gives up until you've beaten a game, you'll have to work hard at the four levels in Neighbours. In fact, I'll be very surprised if you don't chew your joystick to bits before you get that far.

The other thing is that nearly all the characters in the game have actually left the show. If you're a fan of the series as it is now, you might be a bit miffed by this. Perhaps Zeppelin could release weekly expansion packs, keeping us up to date with the plot twists. Or perhaps not.

Yes, I enjoyed Neighbours. Oh, sure, it's a bit crap. The pictures of the stars which appear on the monitors are perfectly dreadful and completely unrecognisable. But then again, so are most of the cast. So I suppose it's okay. But playability is good, graphics are smooth and, cos it's tough, there's plenty of mileage in it. So it's er, beaut, ripper, bonzer and um, arvo.

REPLAY

It's a hard life stuck here on the top right of the page. No one appreciates me. They just want to read Replay. (Sigh.)

Zeppelin
£3.99
091 385 7755
Reviewer: Linda Barker

When this racing game first appeared exactly a year ago it was a tad outdated. Now, none of the characters in the game are in the television series which renders the whole concept completely worthless. You take the part of Scott Robinson and your vehicle is a, erm, skateboard. Your opponents are Charlene Ramsay on a gokart, Henry Ramsay on a lawnmower, Mike Young on a skateboard and Matt Robinson on a motorbike. Now I used to watch Neighbours around the time this game was originally produced, and I can't for the life of me remember who Matt Robinson was. But hey! That's not important, let's have a look at the game.

The game itself is simple enough, choose your opponent and set off around Erinsborough. To make it all a bit different, there are various obstacles to be manoeuvred around. Go through Harold Bishop's gates and avoid a tetchy Mrs Mangel, Des Clarke's car, a very young Todd's car and a bouncing kangaroo. The gameplay is a tad more difficult as your skateboard, especially the souped-up faster one, needs to be kept under strict control. At its most difficult, ie with four other racers and loads of obstacles, getting down Ramsay Street without causing damage to either yourself or one of the useless biddies who wanders out into the road is as difficult as getting past the first page of Ulysses. Despite the useless concept, this is a very fun racer. If you didn't get it the first time round, then ignore the Neighbours tie-in and have a ride round the block with this. The theme tune's there too. In a simplified but groovy kinda way!

Label: Impulze
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £10.99 Tape, £15.99 Disk
Reviewer: Matthew Denton

What sort of game could a Neighbours game be? Impulze couldn't have made it into a beat 'em up (although a Mrs. Mangel bashing game could have been very enjoyable), or into an adventure game where you have a quest to find an original script.

So what does the garde involve? Well, Impulze have come up with a 3-D racing game with Scott Robinson on his skateboard. amazing!!!

The other contestants each have their own type of transport, ranging from Matt on his motorbike, to Henry on his nitro injected lawnmower of doom. There are four locations to race around including such delights as Lassiter's Complex and Anson's Corner, with two races at each, split into three laps (isn't life complicated in Ramsey Street, eh?) in each lap you must pass through a number of slalom gate thingies, that fat-boy Harold has scattered everywhere.

Scott also has an energy bar in the form of his popularity. By hitting obstacles Scott loses popularity (Bring me my coloured coat) so smashing into the old bat Mrs Mangel does nothing to boost your chances of success (although satisfaction is guaranteed).

In-game graphics are quite awful, featuring bland backgrounds and poorly animated sprites. The scrolling keeps up with the action well enough by jerking painfully about the play area. Sound is equally as bad with a pitiful rendition of the Neighbours theme tune and dire spot effects.

But where Neighbours flat on it's face is in the lack of variety. Although careering around the tracks is quite first, it soon gets tedious. Just because the T.V. program is so popular with little change or originality, there's no reason to believe that the computer game can get away with the same bland formula - in fact it's this lack of spice that wipes out any possible long-term enjoyment. Neighbours is a game best left to the brain-dead vegetables of the world, who do not value normal things like money or sanity.

GARTH:
Neighbours, naah di naah di, neighbours. I was excited when I heard that Zeppelin had got this licence so I was disappointed to see it become another race game. It's Paperboy on a skateboard only not as interesting. A missed opportunity.

Label: Zeppelin
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Philip Lindey

It seems as if all at Ramsay street have gone race crazy. Yep, the whole of Erinsborough is out for the day with their go-karts, tractors, lawnmowers, bicycles and who knows what else. Now it's your chance to race with the stars - if you can stand them!

There are four characters to race against, Charlene Ramsey and her go-kart, Henry (a big hero of mine) with his powerful tractor lawnmower, Mike Young is zipping around on his skateboard and Matt Robinson (somewhat unfairly I think) is on a motorbike.

You, on the other hand, are on a skateboard, and a pretty nifty one at that. There is a choice of two different speeds, so try out both and see which you prefer.

The race track is littered with obstacles, such as Des Clark's car, Todd Lander's radio controlled car and, for good measure, a kangaroo. To score you must skate through the slalom gates, which Harold Bishop set up.

There are four race locations to choose from: Ramsay street itself, Lassiter's complex, Erinsborough High and Anson's corner. At each of these locations there are two races, each one two laps in length. And with Harold Bishop organising the whole thing how could it possibly go wrong.

BIG AL DYKES:
I hate the TV program. And I thought this game was a bit of a rip off at full price. But as a budget it's well worth having.