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Speedball's back! After a hundred years of absence, the most violent sport ever devised by man has bounced back - and this time it's twice as deadly!

Like the original Speedball, the game's authorities have left all of the rules and referees out, which generally ensures that plenty of entertaining, physical violence is the order of the day. No matter how violent a game may be, there's got to be an objective. In Speedball 2, it's scoring points, and the most usual form of this pursuit comes from scoring goals in the opposition's "net". But as you'll read later on, there are quite a few more tally-toting techniques to discover.

In addition to the smash, grab 'n score antics of the actual game, Speedball 2 also puts you in the role of team manager. This means that you superviser each player's training programme, as well as keeping an eye on the transfer market for any Lineker-esque goal scoring star players. Training and new players are paid for with the prize money you receive from each game played.

You start the game with your team, Brutal Deluxe, languishing at the bottom of Speedball Division Two. Using your skills and judgement, it's your job as player manager to get to the top of Division One - and stay there!

There are three main game types in Speedball 2. The knockout game gives you a chance to go for the coveted Speedball cup by taking part in a series of elimination games. But beware, for if you lose one game you're out!

The league option puts you in a duel division league environment, where reaching the top if your ambition. The final option is the usual two-player mode, where two human Speedballers battle it out for sphere-related supremacy!

During the game itself, icons pop up from time to time. Collecting these can boost your speed, stamina and performance. Other icons have instantly detrimental effects on the other team, by immobilising them or draining stamina. If you really feel like annoying your opponent, collect the reverse controls icon!

After a goal has been scored, the action instantly cuts to a slow-motion replay of the last few seconds of the match. This is a pretty gratutous feature of the game, but does come in handy for showing off, or humiliating your opponent in a two-player game.

Scoring points is the aim of the game and you can boost your goal-scoring potential many times by lobbing the ball through the score multipliers located on either side of the Speedball pitch.

Goals are usually worth ten points, but with the aid of the multiplying mechanism, up to fifty points are there for the taking!

Speedball 2 is one of the finest Amiga games I've ever played, and apart from minor sonic differences, this Megadrive version is exactly the same.

All the fun of beating up a legion of enemy players and scoring a goal after gratuitously assaulting the goalie has you playing on your 16-bit machine for ages!

I also like the way that scoring points isn't solely reliant on getting the ball past the opposing goalie. All of the score multiplying and star-spanging makes for some exciting action in the mid-field area as well as at each end. The graphics and sound are good, serving their purpose well, and with all of the different game options, there's tons here to be getting on with.

As fast-action violent games go, Speedball 2 is excellent, with only EA Ice Hockey beating it in the entertainment stakes.

Speedball 2 is a superb future sports simulation that combines extremely fast and addictive gameplay with plenty of violence. It's one of those games that's very easy to pick up and play, but has the potential to let experts learn some amazing tricks and tactics.

Like all sports games, the two-player mode provides the most fun (you just can't help screaming and shouting at your opponent - especially when play starts to get dirty), but that's not to say that single-play action is dull.

Not at all - the computer opponents pack a hefty punch and the management section adds a whole new angle to the game. With its excellent graphics and superb gameplay, Speedball 2 is a long-lasting and thoroughly enjoyable sports simulation that should definitely be checked out.

Presentation 90%
Excellent, with a decent attract sequence, plenty of options and some stunning still screens.

Graphics 91%
The Cyberpunk-style look is used to great effect, with detailed, well-animated visuals that enhance the atmosphere no end.

Sound 83%
Plenty of crowd noise along with grunts from the players and loads of metal-on-metal spangs.

Playability 87%
Great, with the extreme violence and speed making the game very enjoyable to play.

Lastability 87%
The league takes ages to master, and once you've finished that there's still the knockout options and two-player games to enjoy.

Overall 88%
Fast, thrilling and violent, Speedball 2 is the best future sport game available on the Megadrive and is a must for sports fans.