Previous Next

The beat-'em-ups available on 16-bit are a pretty weak and weedy bunch but that's about to change with the release of IK+, a fightin' 'n fumpin' game that knocks everything else for six.

It was written by Archer Maclean, whose previous games, International Karate and Dropzone, are both considered classics. His latest creation is basically a translation of the 8-bit version, which appeared during the Autumn of last year, and has been enhanced with digitised sound effects, improved graphics, an extra bonus round and film-like opening sequence.

Unlike most karate games, IK+ has three on-screen fighters, either two computer-controlled against a brave solo player, or two humans against the computer. The objective is obvious - stay alive by beating the others. There are seventeen moves available, ranging from mid-air split kicks to head butts and backward somersaults. Each kick or punch scored on an opponent awards the player with either one or two points, depending on the effectiveness of the move. The first fighter to score six points wins the bout, and the remainder of the thirty second time limit is converted to bonus points. If the player has the second highest points score, he goes through to the next round; if he's last he's out.

Every third screen takes the form of a bonus round. In the first, the fighter has a shield and deflects balls as they bounce on from the left and right. The more balls deflected, the faster they come - dodge all 64 and 5,000 survival points are awarded. The second bonus screen requires bombs to be kicked off the screen before they explode - if the fighter gets hit by shrapnel the round ends. If all bombs are successfully booted, 5,000 points are given. Every subsequent round alternates between balls and bombs.

The player starts a game classed as a white belt, and as he goes through the rounds is promoted to yellow, purple, green, brown and eventually to black - where the opponents are very tough indeed.

A very unusual feature of IK+ is the mass of cheat modes - there are over fifty of them! Some of the things you can do include changing the judge's shirt colour, altering the size of the shield logo during the bonus round, making the fighter's trousers fall down and changing the background colour. One of my favourites is activated by typing PAC - keep watching the background. There are also a wide variety of messages, and the game can also be put into turbo mode, which is brilliant fun!

The animation is excellent throughout, with the fighters looking superb and moving with a convincing cartoon-like fluidity. The range of expressions and reactions is absolutely superb, further enhanced by the incredible digitised sound effects. The grunts and thumping sounds are great, but the best ones of all are the Bruce Lee screams and wails - in the midst of a fight IK+ sounds just like the fight scene at the end of Enter The Dragon!

The gameplay matches the high standards set by the visuals and sonics, and provides much entertainment and enjoyment. The difficulty level is set just right, and the fighters are very unpredictable - there doesn't seem to be a 'safe' move that often flaws games of this kind. Although the opponents are slow on early levels, their erractic nature can surprise even the most skilled opponents, making the game that much more exciting to play. On very high levels, play gets unbelievably frenetic, and requires reflexes and complete concentration to ensure survival.

The presentation is superb, with a lovely opening sequence and title screen, complete with psychedelic fighters, and the pause mode is great.

Some may say that beat-'em-ups are past their prime, but I defy anyone to pick this up and not get totally hooked. It's got all the elements of a classic, and has the timeless gameplay that'll keep you coming back long after 'big' games like R-Type and Starglider II have been relegated to the software shelf.