Dakar 2007 screeches onto mobile

Most of us will be getting down the gym on January 6th next year, following a fortnight of over-consumption. Spare a thought, then, for the plucky drivers who'll be setting off on the Dakar 2007 rally that day.

Fancy joining them? It's too late to enter, but EA Mobile has the next best thing. It's releasing Dakar 2007 this week as a mobile game, covering 15 different stages from the race, spread over five countries.

There'll be two game modes: Rally, where you progress through the different stages one by one, and Time Trial, where you can try to beat your top times on any of the levels you've unlocked in Rally mode.

EA says there'll also be strategic decisions to make en-route, with forks in the road challenging you to either take a shorter but more difficult route, or a longer but less challenging one.

Plus you'll be able to pick up bonus items along the way to refuel, and repair any engine or tyre damage caused by your dodgy handbrake turns the tough conditions.

Dakar 2007 is due out this Friday. Having only just heard about it, we'll have a review live next week, so you may wish to wait until then to decide whether to buy it.