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It's fast, bloodthirsty and downright nasty - and that's just the review! Since the Ed's not very sporting, we thought who better to get beaten to a pulp in Imageworks' violent future sport?

Right, let's not beat about the bush. Speedball 2 is utterly brilliant. Its fast, throbby, exciting, intensely playable and downright wonderful. Now, unless you want to know the exact ins and outs of the game, you can skip the rest of the review and go straight to the Power Rating...

Still with me? Fine. If you're completely in the dark about Imageworks' latest adventure (it's possible: you might have been out of the country. Or living underwater. Or something) then allow me to introduce you to this ultra-violent future sport. In what amounts to a cross between rugby and American football, two teams of nine players face off against one another within the confines of a high-tech walled arena. The ball - which is made of polished metal and should not be headed - is carried along and thrown to other players who catch it and carry on. Get near the goal mouth and you have to try and lob it in. Easy.

Now this is a real contact sport, and tackles are more like muggings. Get within arm's length and hammer the fire button. One brief pummelling later, the ball has usually changed hands, leaving one player lying on the floor dripping life juice.

You can pass the ball to another player either directly by chucking it in the air, or indirectly by bouncing it off the high walls and pinball-type bumpers strategically placed around the arena. Hitting these bumpers increases your score, and there are star-shaped panels embedded in the wall which affect different bonuses.

Random pick-ups also appear in the shape of coins, tokens or armour. Coins go straight into the team kitty ready to buy new equipment; tokens have beneficial power-ups, and affect entire teams; and armour and weapons are collected and utilised by individual players.

At the start of each bout you can pick your teamsters from the full complement of twelve (nine players, three subs). During the course of competitions other players also come up on the transfer market.

Having selected your team, you can then wander down to the 'gym' to equip your players. You begin with a set amount of cash which you can apportion to different areas such as power, speed, aggression, intelligence and so on. You can alter individual abilities to suit (like increasing the goalie's defensive capacity) or simply influence the team as whole.

Choose to play a friendly two-player game, practise in an empty arena or enter into league, knockout or cup matches. Alternatively, if you're not feeling up to the joystick challenge you can simply act as coach-cum-manager and guide your team from the sidelines. Set up the player stats as you want, and let them battle it out! And don't worry about the longer campaigns running through teatime: you can save your games and teams out to tape or disk. Now is that user friendly or what?

The beauty of Speedball 2 is that, for once, C64 owners get the whole thing: not just a cut-down, crippled version of the 16-bitter. Gameplay is pretty much identical and although the graphics aren't as flashy, it's all there: intro (plus superb Martin Walker theme tune), management screens, animation, the lot.

Anyone that blows serious cash trying to pick up a decent soccer sim (and, my God, there's some crap on the market) should think seriously about this game. OK, so it doesn't have some permed prima donna on the cover, but at least it plays a damn good game. The two-player option is the business, but even solo Speedballers have more than enough to get their teeth into.

Speedball 2 is simply stupendous - full marks to Carl Muller (code) and Alan Tompkin (graphics). If this doesn't hit number one in the charts, I think I'll quit reviewing and go and write naff soccer games for a living instead.

In the single player mode you control Brutal Deluxe, the meanest bunch of speedball players you're ever likely to meet. Going by such fearsome names as Graham (eek), Darren (brrr) and (I can hardly bring myself to say it) Nigel. Well, you can just imagine these warriors striking fear into the hearts of the enemy: "Oh my God!" comes the whisper from the opposing team... "they're playing Justin!". Urgh, makes me shiver just thinking about it. [Erm... Steve, are you sure about this? - Dep Ed]

1. Utterly superb intro music and a good range of spot effects during matches.
2. Probably the fastest two-player team sport on the C64!
3. Violent gameplay is incredibly addictive - and computer teams play a decent game.
4. Unbelievably, there's just a single load for the game itself
5. Save game option helps sustain the offensive.
6. Tiny players are neatly defined, and well-animated.
7. Eight-way pitch scroll is smooth and fast.
8. Management section is well implemented and adds some depth to the sporting action.

1. Possibly short-lived for solo play.