Like Hollywood sequels, the software industry will churn out game after game based on the same tried and tested formula. It's not always a bad thing - after all, some sequels make vast improvements over the originals - but there comes a time when repackaging the same goods is going to leave the audience jaded.

In gaming, no genre is more repetitive in its content than the beat-'em-up. The popularity of its most impressive incarnations has lead software houses to come back for more rich picking with games that vary little apart from slightly enhanced graphics and bloodier special effects.

Years after the beat-'em-up birth, however, even the laziest developers have been trying to give their new combat games a vaguely fresh twist. Spectacular metamorphosing finishing moves, international locations and a greater range of bizarre characters have been wheeled in to inject new fighting spirit into the proceedings.

With robots and streetfighters behind us, Gametek are going for a new angle with a game featuring cute but deadly critters as its muscle-bound contenders. Named Brutal: Paws of Fury, this new title steers away from the realistic visual approach of Mortal Kombat in favour of more humorous, cartoon-like charicatures.

The simple storyline bears a Far Eastern flavour with lots of sayings from bogus mystical teaching padding out the ten characters' backgrounds. Choosing from creatures like Kung Fu Bunny, Tai Cheetah or Kendo Coyote, players fight it out in a competition to find the world's best fighter.

Graphically, Brutal is only slightly above average, with reasonably well drawn characters playing out the action against varied but impressive locations. In compensation, however, the game's contenders have been made more lively with the addition of characteristic gestures and moves.

Anyone who experienced the ludicrous disappointment of Rise of the Robots will know that beauty is only skin deep, however. What really counts is whether Brutal can provide anything in terms of a challenge that hasn't already been offered by previous beat-'em ups.

Thankfully, the cosmetic novelty of fighting with furry creatures is not the only difference about the game. One original touch, for example, is the fact that players must learn special moves as their character gains in experience through winning fights.

Whereas it's possible in Mortal Kombat to use all the special moves immediately, this game makes acquiring them more challenging and satisfying. After defeating two opponents, players rise in rank and enter a training session in which they have three chances to learn a joystick sequence. If they successfully imitate it they have access to that move from then on.

There are a vast number of these moves to be learnt, and greater experience yields more powerful and spectacular combinations. This approach could do much to give the beat-'em-up the durability it traditionally lacks, thanks to the long-term rewards it provides.

Putting the fighting moves into practice is also satisfying. On earlier levels a few simple kicks will get you far - possibly too far - but more variety and imagination becomes necessary on higher levels. Thankfully, no move is so complex that it's impossible to string a series of them together in a fluid attack sequence.

Of course it's possible to play against a friend with different characters and alter difficulty levels, of which there are plenty to choose from, and there are the usual karate sound effects accompanying the action.

Wie hat man sich so eine jugendfreie, ja geradezu kindgerechte Digi-Klopperei nun vorzustellen? Ganz einfach: Statt Kombat-Mörtlern oder Streetfightern rangeln zuckersüße Knubbeltierchen um Ruhm, Ehre und die Möglichkeit, ihrer laut Anleitung äußerst pazifistischen Lebensphilosophie im fairen Zweikampf Ausdruck zu verleihen...

Soweit das edle Ansinnen, in der Praxis stehen sich dann freilich doch wieder zwei Joystick-Kämpen vor dem bzw. am Monitor gegenüber, während Solisten den CPU-Recken so lange auf die Nase hauen, bis der Vorrat an feindlicher Lebensenergie erschöpft ist.

Recht originell ist dabei die Fähigkeit der vor Matchbeginn beliebig anwählbaren acht Charaktere (von den zehn Recken der originalen Mega Drive-Version sind Psycho Kitty und Chung Poe der Konvertierung zum Opfer gefallen), im Spielverlauf nett anzusehende Rundum-Kciks, Feuerwürfe und dergleichen ins zunächst dürftig bestückte Hieb- und Tritt-Repertoire aufzunehmen; das erzielte Können wird dann mittels einer Art Levelcode gespeichert.

Bloß sind die entsprechenden Stick-Kombinationen nur für PC-Besitzer dokumentiert, Amiganer müssen anhand von Zwischenscreens mühselig selbst herausknobeln, welche Moves welchem Charakter in welcher Runde zu eigen sind - eine glatte Frechheit!

Leider wurde noch an weiteren Stellen geschlampt; z.B. ist die Anzahl der Runden zwar theoretisch einstellbar, in der Praxis läuft es aber immer auf drei Fights hinaus.

Dann ist aus dem Duo-Modus keine Rückkehr ins Titelhild möglich, die eingedeutschten Screentexte strotzen vor Schreibfehlern, und der in der Anleitung erläuterte Übungskampf mit aktivierten Special-Moves war nirgends aufzutreiben.

Schade außerdem, daß allein die Dauer des Feuerknopf-Drucks über die Wucht eines Hiebes entscheidet - die optionale Unterstützung von zwei oder mehr Buttons am Stick bzw. Pad mit jeweils fest justierter Schlagkraft wäre der bessere, weil spielbarere Weg gewesen.

Um so erstaunlicher, daß sich ein gewisser Unterhaltungswert denoch nicht leugnen läßt: Trotz fehlender Feinheiten und Innovationen im Gameplay macht der Schlagabtausch durchaus Laune, was nicht zuletzt an den witzig bewegten, nur etwas klein geratenen Sprites sowie den mitreißenden House- und Dance-Rhythmen liegt.

Daß die zehn detailarmen Hintergrundmotive keine modernen Parallax- und Animations-Effekte kennen und bloß lustlos nach links und rechts scrollen, fällt im temporeichen, aber ordentlich kontrollierbaren Schlagabtausch zudem nicht weiter auf.

Im Ergebnis kann Paws of Fury der etablierten Konkurrenz daher natürlich nicht die Pfote reichen, aber wo sonst darf Tyson Junior heutzutage noch zulangen, ohne daß sich die BPS ins Fäustchen lacht! (rl)

As anyone who has ever watched Wildlife on One will tell you, animals are not calm, rational beings who contemplate life before they decide to go out looking for din dins. No, they tear into their prey, teeth bared, saliva dripping from their jaws ready to dismember their unfortunate victim.

Strange then that the animals in this beat 'em up, are cute peace loving souls who prefer to spend their time meditating and perfecting their martial art skills before entering in a bit of one on one combat with each other. OK, it's a novel idea and, hey, it might just work. But sadly it doesn't.

The reason it doesn't work is not really down to the concept behind the game it's to do with the playability. But we'll get back to that later.

It's a shame really. A lot of effort seems to have gone into creating a sense of atmosphere to fit in with the underlying aim of the game which is to achieve the ultimate martial arts status - master.

The background music is sort of Japanesy techno style and the reasonably well drawn stages also have a Japanese slant to them. Perhaps the biggest effort to create a sense of ambience was in creating a personality profile for each of the furry combatants. Each one has their own in-depth personality profile along with their stats.

Once you've decided which character you identify with it's standard beat 'em up options: one-player, two player and a two player 'no frills' option which enables you to jump straight into the ring with all your special moves already acquired rather than having to earn them as in the other two modes.

However, it's the special moves, or really the not so special moves, that let the game down. Although Brutal runs quite quickly, unlike MKII or SSFII, the special moves are nothing to write home about. Pantha's taunting move which involves flashing his spotty boxer shorts at you does not inspire much aggression. So you're left wondering why you need to bother mastering complex joystick moves, when if you just stick to sitting in the corner with the fire button pressed you get the same job done.

Unfortunately this tactic worked time and time again. You can get well into later belt stages without even losing a life.

Brutal is a novel enough idea, with shades of the Hong Kong Phooey cartoons in some of its characters. The graphics, sound and speed are good, it's just let down by the awkward, unspectacular special moves and the fact it is too easy to get by with flailing kicks and punches. Not what you want from a beat 'em up.