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Ocean's penultimate Konami release should have made it out for Christmas, but the out-of-house programmers in Scotland couldn't get their act together. The opposition can count themselves lucky - if would have cost them a lot of sales.

Dave 'Rambo' Collier stepped into the fray and knocked the game off in a couple of months. It looks, though, as if it's had a year's care and attention lavished on it.

If you've never emptied your change into the original (where have you been?) it's a classic arcade struggle to fight your way through ten different and progressively deadly opponents in an attempt to become a Kung Fu Master.

The action takes place against two backdrops, a waterfall (cascading more impressively down a mountain than the piddly little one in Winter Sports) and a courtyard set before a mansion.

Controls are much like you'd expect them to be if you've played Fist. Sixteen moves in two modes. Eight joystick positions to punch and manoeuvre and eight more with the fire button depressed for a crippling selection of blows. Each strike earns you points, the highest score being awarded for the flying kick.

The similarities to Fist end right there. If Melbourne House's game is the software equivalent of David Carradine's TV 'Kung Fu' then this is 'The Water Margin'. As Oolong, the hopeful young pretender, you'll be bouncing around the screen with phenomenal leaps and bounds tackling an array of eccentric opponents.

What really sets this apart from the mighty Fist and the other martial arts games is the speed of the thing. Yie-Ar Kung Fu will give you a sore trigger finger and aching wrists. It's much faster than the Konami original. I know because the Ocean boys made me play their arcade machine. I can work my way to the end of the original but not on their conversion - not so far anyway.

I promise you as well that you won't want to rest until you've beaten the lot. It's not easy, even the programmers struggle at the final opponent. Add to this nine different sets of music from Martin Galway and you're looking at an impressive all round package.

There's no need to feel you've got to disregard this because you've got Fist. It stands up on its own. Slightly smaller figures (they're only three sprites high to Fist's four) are made up for by equally compulsive gameplay and brutal toughness.

Here we have a conversion that's even better than the arcade original. Now where's the elastoplast...?

Your opponents:

1. Buchu. Fat and stupid. More of a gentle introduction to set you up for what's coming next.
2. Star. A hard woman this one. Not only is she a bit useful with the moves, but she throws those wicked-looking kung-fu stars.
3. Nuncha. Flails viciously with the nunchaku rice flail. Hit and run.
4. Pole. Wields the ancient rod of Bo (wasn't she in 'Ten'?). If he traps you he'll pin you down. A change from the coin-op version.
5. Chain. The reach on this guy is a major problem. Timing your attacks is essential if you want to stay alive.
6. Fan. Deceptively deadly, Fan is pretty and cute as a tarantula on a birthday cake. Flings fans that do a lot of damage.
7. Sword. This man's danger doesn't need much pointing out. Stay out of reach if you don't want to end up as novelle cuisine.
8. Tonfun. Fights with flailing sticks. Is skilled and very fast.
9. Blues. The big man himself. A Kung-Fu Master in his own right. Your toughest opponent.