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After nearly a year and a half since the release of the original, a sequel to the highly acclaimed International Karate has arrived. The imaginatively named International Karate+ again features a one or two player option, but this time there are a trio of new moves, a remixed Rob Hubbard soundtrack and a new approach to the gameplay.

Press Fire and the action begins with the appearance of three players - one controlled by the player and the other two computer controlled. A free-for-all ensues, with each combatant attempting to knock down either opponent. The player has fourteen different moves accessible via the joystick in conjunction with fire, including a double kick, head butt, back flip, front punch and high kick.

Points are awarded to a fighter who knocks down an opponent with a successful kick or punch - one point for a reasonable knock-out and two for a particularly good job. The objective is to try and score five points before the others, or to score the highest within the thirty second time limit. If a fighter scores five points, the time remaining is turned into bonus points. The second highest scorer goes through to the next round, and the lowest is out - game over in the case of low-scoring player. In the event of no players scoring of the screen and is armed with a defensive shield. Balls bounce onto the screen from either side and are deflected to increase the score. One hundred points are given for each ball deflected, with their speed increasing in velocity until one knocks over the combatant, whereupon the next level is tackled.

During a fight, aspects of the gameplay can be changed. Pressing the numeric keys 1 to 5 speeds up or slows down the action, and the backdrop can also be changed. Pressing RUN/STOP puts the game into pause mode, and the karate world's equivalent of Five Star treat you to a little synchronised dance. There is also a way to make the combatant's trousers fall down - but we're not going to tell you how to do it!

Yeah! Take the best bits of International Karate, add an extra opponent, a couple of new moves, new music and tweak the playability and you've got the incredible International Karate+!

The feel is superb, and the three player free-for-all is incredibly frenetic, providing more violent fun than anything else I've played.

The presentation is also excellent, with wonderful little touches on the picture, like the spiders and leaping fish, and great speed variation and pause mode during the game.

A tenner is a high price to pay for a fighting game, but they don't come any better than this classic in the making.

Presentation 95%
Beautifully designed and executed.

Graphics 92%
Lovely, smooth and convincing animation across an equally good backdrop.

Sound 89%
Crunching sound effects and great Hubbard remix.

Hookability 94%
Straightforward and instantly rewarding violence.

Lastability 82%
The excitement may wane slightly after a while, but the two player option is always enjoyable.

Overall 93%
An outstanding beat-'em-up which shouldn't be missed.