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Ah so Grasshopper. Are you ready to leave?

This is it, the big one. Wrapped up in this neat package is just about everything you wanted to know about. mastering the mystery of such exciting Oriental sports as Kendo, Kung Fu, Sumo and Karate. Roll up at the door to the fighting arena, enlist as a competitor, on your own or with as many as three of your friends, and be prepared to take a fair few knocks as you battle it out to become overall victor in the Oriental Games.

Each event is staged separately and you start off as one of sixteen entrants on your way to the gold medal. Before you do anything however, have a good look at the instructions manual in order to decipher the many complicated moves involved in each event. If you don't, you'll soon find yourself on the deck in the first round and a mere spectator as the results of the later rounds are displayed before the eventual Gold medal winner is announced.

In the fighting arena, keep a close eye on your portrait above your health status. It'll soon let you know if you're hurt, even if you can't see your strength rapidly diminishing.

The idea is to reduce your opponent's strength to zero, or score 1,000 points to win. If you succeed, you progress to the quarter finals and onwards.

When you do win, the old adrenalin certainly gets flowing, but if you fail, it isn't half frustrating having to sit and watch the other results before entering your name all over gain for the next event. Getting further into the games, we've probably all had a go at Karate and Kung Fu on the screen, but have a bash at the old Sumo wrestling for something a little different. Use the controls to grab, slap and push and do your best to put your opponent on the floor. It's well worth the effort.

All in all, Oriental Games is a pretty neat collection, with the four different sports offering just enough variety to keep your interest. The sports are pretty tough to master at first, so don't be put off early in the games. Just to see your name up there at the end along with the greats is reward enough to keep you plugging away.

With some colourful graphics and a very atmospheric oriental melody in the background, along with some realistic grunts and cries, Oriental Games should provide an excellent alternative to lovers of the Gentle Arts, as well as to all those fed up with your run of the mill Ninja beat-ern-ups.