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About two years ago, Superior announced that it was working on a boxing simulation in which you could cheat if the referee wasn't looking. Unfortunately it never quite got off the ground - until now. By Fair Means Or Foul explores life in the ring with another man trying to knock off your head. Two people can play each other, or one person can compete against the machine. Hopefully, by bashing your friends you can gain enough experience to take on a computer-controlled expert assailant in the world championship.

Set in a three-dimensional boxing ring illuminated by a sharp cone of light, with the roaring crowds in the background and the referee dancing up and down. By Fair Means Or Foul looks OK. At random points during the fight, a member of the crowd will yell out comments like 'Chicken', to add to the atmosphere. The usual set of sixteen manoeuvres is obtained through the various combinations of four control keys plus a 'punch' button. Joysticks can also be used, along with a blend of joystick and keys. The sprites aren't particularly detailed, but do their job, and the same applies to the sound.

The manipulation of your boxer's limbs is fairly easy to master, and within two minutes of loading the games you can be engaged in a bout of combat.

I suppose that the morals behind a game that encourages cheating in sport are questionable, but blows to painful and illegal areas such as the groin are what makes the game amusing. But if the referee isn't having his attention distracted by the crowd, you could be in big trouble.

Overall I think the game is Barbarian in disguise. But if you don't have Barbarian, or if you do but are a born sadist, then By Fair Means Or Foul.

Sam Greenhill