Have you ever watched Banzai on Channel 47? The TV series is based around betting on random acts, such as two grannies playing chicken in wheelchairs or guessing if a celebrity's wedding tackle weighs the same as various pieces of fruit. Although Kung Fu Chaos doesn't involve watching OAPs have head-on collisions and comparing privates to fresh produce, what you do get in this debut effort from developer Just Add Monsters (great name, by the way!) is the unique '70s-style wacky Oriental humour that permeated the entire theme of the madcap Banzai. And, better still, Kung Fu Chaos is even funnier.

Kung-Fu Chaos is a beat-'em-up/party game where you play the role of an actor in a movie, aptly titled 'Kung Fu Chaos'. The film is directed by an odd-looking guy called Shao Ting (say it out loud) who's true to his name and bellows directions and short descriptions of each scene combined with a couple of off-the-wall insults for good measure.

In single-player mode (Ninja Challenge), you get to choose one of seven characters to take part in an extensive range of diverse scenes that act as progression levels throughout the game. The scenes are split into different formats to make sure the gameplay doesn't get too repetitive. Short films that often take the guise of obscure mini-games, tutorials to help you learn fighting techniques, and main features where you need to fight through a scrolling movie scene all help to keep the action interesting. The main features involve you not only performing your own stunts (such as surviving collapsing floorboards or dodging the snapping jaws of a dinosaur) but also keeping up with the camera panning - you're making a movie after all and you need to stay in shot. It keeps your director happy, too.

The action is just like the martial arts movies spawned from the '70s film-making boom in Hong Kong: frantic, over the top and tongue in cheek. Multiple enemies will repeatedly spring up and try to beat the living daylights out of you, and you will need to deal with the baddies while keeping an eye on what's happening in the environment around you.

The level design is some of the most inventive we've seen. Play the Titanic spoof (called 'Gigantic Crack') and you'll have to negotiate a rapidly sinking ship whilst acting like a Ninja warrior and kicking up a storm. Play 'Enter The Dino' and start fighting on a raft that gets chased and munched by a rampaging dinosaur and tossed throughout the stage. Before you know it you'll be thrown from the raft and have to hop on giant frogs heads. You're never sure what's going to happen

next and it adds to the in-game excitement. But beneath the chaos happening on screen lies a game that demands more than random button bashing. You'll naturally be hammering the joypad, but it's going to be with purpose. There's a wealth of attacks to learn and master that provide decent gameplay depth without trying to imitate the serious fighting style of 'proper' beat-'em-ups.

Basic same-three-button combo sequences, unique signature moves, advanced four-button attacks, blocks, counters, throws, fast attacks for enemies who like to block and taunts that can multiply into devastating 'Super Kill' power moves... all these are available to those who master the combat system. And with an interface that's highly successful in promoting casual playability, there's no reason why you won't be sending an opponent flying while simultaneously taunting his poor performance.

But multiplayer is where Kung Fu Chaos starts to become irresistible. The battle mode enables up to four friends to either fight each other, or AI equivalents if you're lonely. And the unlockable Championship stage allows four folks to battle through all six main features to see who's the rightful blackbelt in the group. It's incredibly entertaining, especially when you taunt a mate before carrying him over your head and watch him frantically squirm just before you throw him to a hungry shoal of piranhas.

And to top it all off, the game has higher production values than a John Woo flick. Fantastic visuals and benchmark quality replays combine with an authentic B-movie style that's incredibly detailed right down to the scratched celluloid background in the opening credit sequence. The only gripe worth mentioning is that, on occasion, the oversized models can camouflage your own player, so you might not be able to see the character clearly. But it doesn't happen frequently enough to be a game-breaker and is a minor complaint.

Just like its fast-food initials, Kung-Fu Chaos is easily digestible, can leave you with messy fingers and (considering Ben's love affair with Colonel Sanders' secret recipe) is about as addictive as breathing. It's great fun in single-player mode and unbeatable as a multiplayer experience. With the highly stylised presentation and humour, it plays for laughs. But underneath the happy façade lurks a game that's as challenging as a pumped-up Bruce Lee who thinks you've been messing with his missus. Ignore this one at your peril.

Power
A big, bold game that's able to handle four-player mayhem without a hint of slowdown.

Style
Very stylish. This is a benchmark example of how attention to detail creates great results.

Immersion
Holds your attention like a mid-match streaker. You won't be able to resist Kung-Fu Chaos's attractive nature.

Lifespan
It's got more stuff to unlock than a bank vault, combined with fantastic multiplayer gameplay.

Summary
Got a sense of humour? Want a challenging single-player experience combined with great multiplay? Kung-Fu Chaos's for you.

1. Highly playable
2. Very funny
3. Great looking
4. Very intuitive control system
5. Great multiplayer

1. Can get a little cluttered