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The games software industry is often alarmingly leechlike in its inability to let go of a subject once in its grasp.

So here is yet another martial arts game. The time Thai Boxing which combines the speed of the karate black belt with the brute strength of the boxer.

Although the blurb on the box would have you believe otherwise - "eight levels with superbly detailed backdrops" - there are in fact only four different backdrops, each of which is used for two skill levels. The graphics are in four colour mode and possess a kind of rugged, back street quality, which may well reflect the type of individual who indulges in this "sport".

Thai Boxing features the usual kick, punch-block types moves but the quality of sprite animation falls far short of the Amstrad version of Fist for example.

There are, though, some nice touches including a more "3D" approach to a combat game where you can stand directly behind or in front of your opponent rather than just to either side.

You can also graphically see the facial damage being inflicted on each player as bruises and then blood start to appear to close-ups of their faces shown at the top of the screen.

Each player's stamina is shown as a showing bar at the top of the screen and you lose if your stamina decreases to zero, but for an eight level game, level one is surprisingly difficult which may stop many players wanting, or being able to, reach even levels two and three.

Despite having good atmospheric backdrops, Thai Boxing is let down by poor animation and sound.