Previous Next

Some do it standing up, some do it pirouetting and some even do it on their heads. But you have to admit that, if you're going to hit someone, the natural way to do it is to clench your fist and blat 'em.

The odd thing about Fist Fighter, then, is that there's only one character who can do any serious damage with his fists. The other four fighters rely on odd tactics to beat their opponents to a pulp. There's Gino, who simply draws a knife on his foes [That hardly seems very sporting - Ed] and a chap with special psychic powers that could knock out a bad-tempered bull at full 20 paces.

Each fighter has eleven moves that he (wot, no shes?) can perform in battle - 10 attacking and one defensive - all of which are joystick-controlled. They also each have another, extra special, attribute: their biting wit. After every bout, they shout abuse at each other, supposedly to psyche them up for the next battle. But some of the spiel they spout is seriously amusing.

Some people might note a few similarities between Fist Fighter and a certain smash hit game that's been number one in the charts recently. I certainly did. Fist Fighter, at just under four quid, wins the price war if you just feel the need for any old beat-'em-up to bash around. But on most other points it takes a pasting. The sprite graphics are comparable to those in 'the other game', but you've really got to concentrate to see what's happening against the fuzzy backgrounds. Most of the backdrops are brown and so are most of the fighters - Otis is virtually invisible in Egypt.

The control system is a pretty hit or miss affair. A lot of the time it's tough to get the player to do what you want; on the other hand, on when the controls are being responsive, the action tends to become sluggish.

There are five difficulty levels but only three locations and not as many combatants as other beat-'em-up's around. But, on the whole, as a cheaper version of you know what, it's a bit of a barg. So if you can't wait a year for that game to come out on budget, this'll fill the gap.

1. Otis
Age: 32
Occupation: Unemployed
Nationality: American
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 76kg
Special Move: Super punch

2. Lee-Chung
Age: 21
Occupation: Karate instructor
Nationality: Nepalese
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 60kg
Special Move: Whirlwind Kick

3. Jay-Cee
Age: 25
Occupation: Tour guide
Nationality: British
Height: 6ft 0in
Weight: 69kg
Special Move: Skittle roll

4. Merrick
Age: 28
Occupation: Nursery attendant
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 6ft 7in
Weight: 120kg
Special Move: Psychic blast

5. Gino
Age: 19
Occupation: Pizza dude
Nationality: Sicilian
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 63kg
Special Move: Knife throw

1. Budget price clone of a famous beat-'em-up.
2. The slanging matches are a good laugh.
3. Loads of possible moves to try out.

1. Poorly designed backgrounds.
2. Sluggish controls.
3. Only five fighters.