Sumo!

There's a great trend in the entertainment industry to dress up ideas that aren't especially mainstream in new clothes, hoping that, in the end, they appeal to a wider selection of people. Whether it's Westlife recording a swing CD or Hollywood remakes of books from centuries past, there's nothing wrong with a superficial reinvention, as long as it stays true to its original inspiration.

Stinkbot's Sumo! is one such reinvention, putting what is essentially a card game in the clothes of sumo wrestling, and enjoying much success as a result. In short, it's a 'number battler' that requires deft use of strategy and a hard fix on numbers, conveyed through two sumo wrestlers fighting on a bridge - a slightly wacky concept if ever there was one.

In truth, the combination provides a nice fit and aids Sumo! in its bid for mainstream appeal, though what lies underneath is a rather intense card game that punishes rash play. Taking control of one of the sumo wrestlers, you're charged with knocking down your rival as you cross a bridge, or at least making it as far into his territory as you can. Movement is triggered by picking from a selection of five numbered cards available to each player at any one time.

For example, picking a '4' card moves you either forward or backward four steps depending on your choice. Only numbers '0' to '5' are available, with each card appearing five times to make up a pack of 30. With these numbers dealt out at random, your rival has the same goal, using his cards to move towards you (though the numbers at his disposable are hidden from view) and 'attack' - which, in practical terms, means using the cards to move to the same spot as your opponent.

Of course, this is a lot harder than it sounds. It's not possible to move past your opponent, so lining yourself up to use a card that moves you forward to the precise attack position is essential. If you aren't in possession of any usable cards (i.e., all your cards are larger in number than the number of spaces between you and your rival, and there's no room to retreat), you lose the round. If you're floored by your opponent, you lose the round. If the cards run dry and your fat foe is on your half of the bridge, you lose the round.

Yes, Sumo! is far from a pushover. Even if you manage to position yourself for a perfect attack, your assailant only needs to be carrying the same number as the one you used to try and tackle him for you to bounce embarrassingly back off his belly - something that leaves you vulnerable to a counter-attack as a result. It's in this way that playing the game becomes a constant trial of managing your own cards whilst simultaneously trying to guess what cards your opponent has in hand.

Winning a full game is a question of getting to 80 points first, with the game topping up your total when, for instance, you ground your rival or end the round in their territory. Such long-term success requires some kind of plan, whether it be full-scale attack or clever defence, draining the pack of cards before your opponent has a chance to make much progress.

Indeed, ridding yourself of multiple cards is an essential part of play itself. It's possible to play more than one card at once, as long as they are of the same number. Doing so can either strengthen your attack, or simply rid yourself of unwanted cards, as each card played is replaced by another from the main pack.

But, it's the notification of points earned by these actions that leads to the game's one major annoyance: too much text popping up during play. It's also fair to say that Sumo! offers little explanation in terms of instructions or rules. The game's 'how to play' section simply reads like promotional blurb from the back of a box and offers no real guidance.

Such criticisms suggest there is still work to be done to make Sumo! perfectly palatable, but with further updates apparently on the way, Stinkbot's addictive brawling brain-teaser will no doubt improve and entice yet more players to slip on their loincloth and test out their numerical wit in the future.