Over the past few months, CRASH has tended to neglect the cheaper end of the software market - the ninety-niners - in favour of critical comment on all the full-price games. So in an effort to cover every single piece of software available for your Spectrum, CRASH has decided to introduce a new section, devoted entirely to budget software (games up to £5.00 in price); Budget Bureau. Each month, we'll pick out and feature our favourite cheapies, anything with 80%+ will receive a CRASH House Hit award! Each game still has its own overall rating (in brackets), so there shouldn't be a problem choosing the best games to buy. Only Blackbeard gets a House Hit this month. Read on, read on...

After some deft promotion by Aussie superstars INXS and other style-merchants skateboarding seems 'in' again. Code Masters' Pro Skateboard Simulator (72%) has levels which alternate between attractive isometric 3-D skateparks and overhead-view cross-country courses. A number of flags must either be collected (skatepark), or passed through (cross-country), while avoiding obstacles. Once the odd control system is mastered, the game proves very playable, although very difficult on later stages.

BARGAIN BASEMENT

Yes it's Marcus Berkmann again, rootling around in the lucky dip for all the latest cheapoid games. And what did he pull out? A bunch of bargains no less!

Code Masters
£1.99
Reviewer: Marcus Berkmann

For Code Masters this ain't half bad. It's a shot at the 720°/Skate Crazy market, with loads of wacky skateboard speak and some tricky courses (or is it the control system?). The game is played over seven levels, each with a skate park section, seen from the side, and a cross-country bit. seen from above. In one you have to collect flags, in the other skate between them, all against a time limit. Nothing too complex or elaborate - just a good, simple budget game. Now, if only there weren't those blasted Darling's plastered all over the packaging...