The first boxing game for the Archimedes is a good one. All-In Boxing features nice large animated sprites, good sampled speech and sound and a set of well matched boxers.

The game is one or two player and as usual each has to spend some time experimenting with the keys before the fight begins. You battle your way through the tournaments, gaining a higher and higher rank and building up from amateur to professional.

As in most boxing simulations the energy bar at the top determines a players health but in All-In Boxing there is more to this. Just as in real boxing, your body gains energy between rounds, in the game you must alternately hit a punch-bag and do some skipping to build up your power.

Of course you so you must go as fast as possible without tripping over the rope or being winded by the bag.

The boxing is also good but can become a little tedious as probably the best method is to repeatedly body-punch your opponent into exhaustion. Then the referee begins counting while you must thump the Z and X keys Tynesoft-style to regain vital energy.

Even when you do stagger up, there is little to do but be knocked down again, so effectively its the first to falter in the first place that loses the round.

The graphics and sound have a lot of attention given to them but the strategy routines could do with a little brushing up, having said that it's probably the best routine I've seen yet.

More manoeuvres are also required to give it a better feel to the game and the crowd could perhaps display a bit more enthusiasm. But at the end of the day All-In Boxing deserves merit for a brave attempt at expanding the 'conventional' boxing simulation.

This is a very good game, it would make an excellent Christmas present.