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In Gremlin Graphics' King Of The Ring, you are the manager of a boxer. It's your task to guide your fighter through four fights before taking on the world champion. You must use skill to select the correct training strategy and tactics to guide your boxer to victory.

That's what the cassette inlay said, but I found in this game were two jerky page flipped boxers and lots of laborious typing.

The game starts off with a list of twenty opponents - from which you pick a contest - if the opponent you choose is considered too high grade you try again.

After that you are given a screen of information on your opponent ranging from his age to his fight record. You should be able to get an idea of what sort of fighter he is from this.

Next you train for the fight by choosing gour out of the following six routines - sparring, punch bag, weights, gym work, footwork and road work. Each is supposed to develop you in a different way, for example road work increases stamina and weights will improve punching power.

After assessing your training you choose a strategy from another list. You have four set fight strategies. Once one is picked then it's on to another list, this time awarding priority points for the way you fight each round. Options available are footwork, infighting, attack and defence. The more points awarded for an option, the more effort is put into that choice.

By now my fingers were developing cramp and I was wondering if I was ever going to fight. But the bell sounded and I got a chance to watch my boxer's progress. At this point you have the excitement of watching the other boxer belt the living daylights out of you while amassing a large punch count.

This goes on until you either win or lose and then it's back to the start for a new opponent. Four wins and you fight the World Champion who generally pulverises you.

After playing the game for more than three hours I lost interest. It seems to lack action and strategy, as you only have limited set choices.

There is sparse use of sound and graphics. The fighters themselves are outlines which are well drawn but badly animated.

This is one of Gremlin Graphics' first releases for the Atari but it is well known for its quality games on other micros. So let's call this a start and hope they work their way up.

Not the best of games but it will please some people - but look before you buy, otherwise you may feel you have been hit below the belt.