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The film got a less than ecstatic reception, so can the game manage to better its poor performance? I'm afraid it's yet another martial-arts bore-us-up, but fans of the genre never seem able to get enough of them. What it does have going for it is multi-character control - not simultaneous, mind.

The plot is that you have to... ahhhh... zzzzzzzz. You control three characters, each with different abilities. You can swap control between them, depending on which is best suited to deal with a situation. Their pictures, strength and objects earned are shown at the bottom of the screen. They line up on the right of the display, the character currently under control leading the way.

You have to make your way right to left along an endless (well nearly) scrolling street, where a constant stream of fanatical guards leap out to try to stop you. The characters don't start with their full capabilities, but one can pick up a gun, the second a knife and the third floats around on a cloud and fires magic bolts.

The guards you meet will mostly somersault, kick and punch. Some appear with knives; others even have guns. This will drain your character's energy which can be replaced if you can find food along the way. It's a real war of attrition. Later on, monsters pop out of the walls and the deeper you go, the nastier the dangers which await.

I found the action tedious: just a constant stream of warriors to bump off. The character switching is nice but they could have made more of it. The graphics and animation are good, but just wandering along a street and having the occasional fight can't be considered a great game.

Get through the sewers.

Graphics 71%
P. Large, well-animated characters.
N. Backgrounds are dingy and lack colour.

Sonics 57%
P. Good title tunes.
N. Few in-game effects.

Grab Factor 60%
P. Three characters to switch between.
N. Rapidly gets repetitive.

Staying Power 66%
P. Long, hard battle through long scrolling streets.

Overall 64%
Martial arts beat-'em-ups are getting boring.