One kind of PC game that suits just about every player, young or old, is the perennial platformer but, sadly, this is one genre that gets pushed aside in favour of the graphically enhanced RPG, RTS or Action Adventure. It’s nice, therefore, when one comes along that uses superior graphics and combines them with all the best playability aspects of previous arcade platform games. 

AKIMBO: Kung-Fu Hero is one that appears to have found a perfect balance and provides an eminently playable game with larger-than-life characters. Furthermore, it also has a storyline and a non-linear gameplay plus; of course, some nicely detailed - well-created scenery and an endearing lead character: Akimbo himself…! 

It begins with a note in a bottle that tells Akimbo about an evil dragon called Fang. Fang has enslaved the peaceful people of Turtle Island and, with the use of black magic, made them into willing slaves. Players must control Akimbo through six distinct regions on the island in an attempt to vanquish the dragon and save the islanders but to do this he’s going to have to escape the clutches of some pretty nasty enemies. 

One of the first things you’ll notice is the size of the sprites. Compared to some other titles they are really quite huge, which makes many of Akimbo’s movements much easier to control. It does, however, have the side effect of concealing some floating platforms and ledges until the last moment making blind leaps one of the difficulty aspects to contend with. Nevertheless, this is a minor hurdle when faced with ghosts, rabid rhino’s, skeleton knights and living trees, all of which are in thrall to the evil Fang…! 

Akimbo, however, possesses all the attributes you would expect of a ‘Kung-Fu Hero’ and he’ll need all of his talents as he runs, climbs, jumps and fights his way through. Many of the regions have puzzles that need solving before he can proceed and scattered throughout are collectible items, bonuses and fragments of a magical spell that he’ll need in his final showdown with Fang himself. 

If you only buy one platform game this year make it AKIMBO: Kung-Fu Hero. Price: £19.99 on PC CD ROM.

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