PIT-FIGHTER

1-2 playes, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$37.95
Stereo? No

OVERVIEW:
    It is a sport not covered by any network, not sponsored by any groups, not
sanctioned by any leagues. It is pit-fighting, played in dark basements and
seedy barrooms, where bloodthirsty crowds watch and wager on total strangers
in no-holds-barred combat. Now, you stand, ready to start your career in this
brutal contest; can you show your superiority in the face of overwhelming
odds, or will you be crushed beneath the heels of your opponents?

    For those not in the know, PIT-FIGHER for the Lynx is an adaptation of the
Atari Games arcade title. As Buzz the wrestler, Ty the kickboxer, or Kato the
karate expert, one or two players battle through twelve stages, earing big
bucks for defeating your opponents. Use your unarmed skills to kick and punch
to the top, or pick up barrels, knives, and other weapons for an extra assist.

GAMEPLAY:
    PIT-FIGHTER is reportedly the first four megabit (512K) Lynx game card
ever made. Frankly, I don't see it; there is nothing to justify it over other
Lynx games already on the market. It's not that the game is unplayable;
rather, this is a fairly accurate adaptation of the original, and
unfortunately includes the same flaws as the source. Fighting is fairly
repetitive, and requires little of the strategy found in the various street
fighting games currently in vogue. Responses to actions are a little slow,
leaving you vulnerable in the fast pace of the fight.

    The different fighters each have their own speeds and fighting abilities,
but the opponents all attack with the same tactic -- rush in and pound you
without pause. The joypad and buttons are used in combinations to perform
assorted moves, but a lot of progress can be made by simply kicking
repeatedly. In short, the game soon becomes a mildly annoying exercise in fast
button pressing, and only fans of the original will have enough interest to
return for more.

GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    The sights on PIT-FIGHTER are a mixed bag. Most of the digitized graphics
of the arcade have been translated rather well; colors are used well, and the
sprites and images are reasonably clean and attractive. On the downside,
animation is jumpy and simple. Scaling is used at a minimum, but is nothing
spectacular or worth noting.

    Game sounds, on the other hand, are universally bland. Actual fighting
effects are an assortment of some plain and uninspired thuds and punches.
Several fast-paced hard rock music loops provide background music throughout
the game. They repeat quickly, and can prove irritating after a while. It is
possible to turn them off before the game starts, but then the game is eerily
silent.

SUMMARY:
    PIT-FIGHTER for the Lynx, while not a horrid game, does not offer much to
recommend it, either. Die-hard fans of the original will be content with this
portable version, but for most players, the appeal of this title will not be
so clear-cut.

                GAMEPLAY:        5
                GRAPHICS:        7
                SOUND:           4
                OVERALL:         5