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Words almost fail me (but not quite). This is definitely the hippest, not to mention the best, beat-'em-up on the Amiga yet.

Even on your first go you can't help but notice that it is the same game as the C64 original but one full rung up the evolutionary ladder. To start with, the main title screen features really smart little multi-coloured men bounding around the corners of the screen to a funky tune. This does wonders for first impressions.

I'm not going to dwell any longer on comparisons between this and the C64 version, there aren't any. The backdrop is fantastic, though sadly there is only the 'one'. This is compensated by all the different things which happen there. Leaves fall slowly from trees, birds fly across the horizon, fish jump out of the water, periscopes pop up, and even Pac-Man puts in a cameo appearance. And with the super 'hidden' key combinations you can alter the backdrop colours, the judge and make all the respective features appear at your command. A visual treat.

Almost as impressive are the foreground warrior sprites. All three move with amazing speed, clarity and animation. They perform an array of moves which number well into double figures. High kicks, low kicks, sweeps and a fantastic double kick whereby the character jumps into the air and kicks a leg out at either side. Let me tell you if you can clump the two other fighters simultaneously with this it looks a mite impressive.

When a guy is hit, he jumps into the air with a howling cry then lies spread out for a few seconds, stars orbiting around his battered cranium. My fave move though is the punch, quite simply a straightforward gob smack, but, phew, it looks good. Where defence is concerned, you can block. Moving the joystick away from an opponent at the same time he goes to thump you results in an effective block, or you can just backflip out of trouble.

Points are scored for the accuracy of a move, one point for a clean hit, two for a clean cut thwaking. The first one to score six points, or the player with the most points at the end of the thirty second bout wins, whilst the person with the lowest score is disqualified, unless he is computer controlled. As you score more points you go up in belts, shown by the colour of the belt and headband on the fighter.

The sound seems as though it has been directly digitised from a karate b-movie. It contains loads of over-the-top screams and groans as kicks fly, along with a few meaty thwacks. An excellent tune plays throughout the game.

IK+ is an immensely playable game. On the later levels though, the action gets incredibly fast and half the time you can only guess at what the moves are, and to make it worse the computer player(s) start getting really accurate with their blows. They waltz up to one of the combatants and completely flatten them with a volley of hugely offensive moves. They also retain a sort of alternating personality, one moment there's a free for all, the next they're ganging up on you.

IK+ was the best beat-'em-up on the C64 and now it's proved to be the same on the Amiga. An essential purchase.