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The flight of the BMX biker
EDDIE KIDD may have found it a doddle jumping 14 buses but in Jump Challenge it is not so easy.

In the official Eddie Kidd version from Martech Games, you are given the chance to beat Eddie's world record jump - secure in the knowledge that every time you fail your bones remain intact.

Pedalling furiously on your BMX, you warm up with a gentle jump over a mere 18 oil drums. It is quite easy - complacency sets in.

On graduating to motor bikes there is a relatively small jump over eight cars for starters! If, as the instructions state, you land with your back wheel on the ramp you should he all right.

The game calls for a large combination of skill, luck and the ability to judge speeds and distances. The speedometer and rev counter are a help but the main idea of the game is to teach the player to 'get the feel' of the bike.

The position of the rider is critical during the flight as he controls the angle of the bike. Making him lean backwards or forwards alters the bike's trajectory so that a safe landing can be negotiated. You will need to put in a lot of practice to get it right.

The game is well written and includes all the elements of skill and co-ordination that make an exciting program. There is one irritating aspect. If you repeatedly fail to clear the eight car stage, the game will end and start again with the BMX warm-up. When you are itching to get Eddie into the air, that stage seems a waste of time.



Clare Edgeley


JUMP CHALLENGE Memory: 48K Price: £6.95 Joystick: Not specified Gilbert Factor: 6

EDDIE KID JUMP CHALLENGE
Martech / £6.95

Roger: Yes, I can tell you from personal experience that leaning back or forward can certainly affect your stability whilst jumping a motorcycle. I can also tell you that, just as in this program, getting it wrong has spectacular consequences. Here, though, Eddie always gets up and waves to the crowd - I usually stay down, screaming with pain.
Approach distance appears irrelevant, so long as the bike has climbed through its five gears and indicated speed is at its maximum when taking off from the ramp. All you really have to do is control the bike in the air and that, presumably, governs the number of cars successfully jumped. Sounds fine, doesn't it? Well, it isn't ...
Cheapskate graphics only serve to underline the fact that Eddie Kidd has attached his name to a fairly primitive arcade game that gets boring quicker than players will get good at it. The intro - or practice - screen demands you jump a pushbike over oil drums; trouble is, you make a perfect jump every time! Oh yes, jumps beyond a certain limit produce an offer to SAVE on to blank cassette for competition entry purposes, but I can't imagine anyone bothering. 1/5

Dave: The BMX section gets annoying - it's so easy you can do it with your eyes closed! Jumping with cars is much more difficult and quite addictive. 4/5

Ross: You can control Eddie quite well, but even after practise I found it difficult to make any successful jumps over a decent distance. The 'gusting wind' didn't help either! 2/5

Dave 4/5
Ross 2/5
Roger 1/5

Dave Nicholls, Ross Holman, Roger Willis