Title: Maximo. Publisher: Capcom.

Format: PS2 DVD. Price: £39.99.

IF you played games before the advent of PlayStation, then I'm sure you'll remember Ghosts and Goblins. In its day, this Capcom title, and its sequel Ghouls and Ghosts, were among the most popular action-platform titles ever burnt on to a silicon cartridge.

But some things arebest left undisturbed.

Look what happened to the sublime Sensible Soccer when it was disinterred and resurrected on the PlayStation. Everything that made it a great title went out the window, replaced by suspect three dimensional graphics and a surfeit of decent gameplay.

Maximo, the latest title from Capcom Eurosoft, isn't, therefore, a remake of a classic game. Rather it takes the kernel of the Ghosts and Goblins titles and uses it in a brilliant new game for the PlayStation 2.

The story is really just an excuse to get into the action.

Noble hero Maximo returns from the war only to discover the king has been replaced by an uprising inspired by chief bad guy Achilles (what a heel!). Naturally, as is the way with these tales, Achilles has also pinched Maximo's beloved princess.

So far, so familiar. Only when the game begins, and Maximo dies, do you start to realise that maybe this game is something out of the ordinary.

Our hero is dispatched by Achilles in the opening movie before you have even picked up a game pad.

He's sent to hell but a quick deal with the Grim Reaper sees him sent back to earth to depose Achilles, rescue the kingdom and gain the hand of the fair maiden.

From here it's up to you, as Maximo, to battle your way through level after level of bad guys, collecting spells and confronting half-a-dozen very mean bosses.

The visuals are cartoon-ish but look fantastic. Maximo gets to slug his way through a graveyard, a swamp, a dank old castle and a pirate ship.

He starts off clad in armour but takes too much punishment and the metalwork is stripped away, eventually leaving Maximo wearing nothing but his pants.

You can boost your health by collecting spirits which can be exchanged for an extra life when you die (and you will, frequently).

As games go these days, Maximo seems a tad unforgiving. The later levels, in particular, are a real challenge that will have you mashing your pad in frustration. Unlike lesser titles, however, you can't resist having 'just one more go' in order to progress.

A quick blast of Ghosts and Goblins on a PC emulator revealed my memory to be at fault, however. The original games are far harder to beat than anything Maximo will throw at you. Maybe gamers are softer these days and demand a more gentle approach to their games or possibly we had more patience ten years ago.

This is one game that demands patience and guile. The bosses aren't difficult to beat once you have worked out their weak spot. Until that moment, however, you'll struggle to progress. Maximo is one game where a walk-through or hint book could seriously hinder your enjoyment.

There's more good news on the technical front.

Gamers who picked up UK versions of Capcom's recent titles such as Devil May Cry were disappointed to find how little work had gone into the conversion process needed to run a Japanese title on a British TV.

Our televisions use a system called PAL. It has 625 lines and refreshes the picture 50 times a second. Japanese and American tellies refresh a 525 line picture 60 times a second.

A careless conversion leaves UK software hobbled - running ten per cent too slow and the picture is squashed with black bars top and bottom.

Capcom is nothing if not receptive to feedback, however, and following criticism about its UK releases has responded with a superb conversion of Maximo which runs full screen and full speed. Even better, the company says all its future titles will have the same care and attention lavished upon them.

At first glance Maximo may seem a little simple in these days of multi-disc adventures like the Final Fantasy series. It's undeniably a throwback to simpler times but all the better for that.

This is a title all serious PS2 owners will want in their collection.

Get the world in the palm of your hand

Wow! When I was a teenager all I got for Christmas was a second-hand bike.

Kids these days are far more sophisticated. Take the new Cybiko Xtreme, the next generation hand-held computer aimed at youngsters.

Designed for children aged eight to 18, Cybiko combines instant messaging, email, a Wap browser, interactive gaming and more than 60 different personal digital assistant functions into one handy device.

The Xtreme has more memory for games and downloads, uses USB technology to transfer data to and from a PC and has an infra red communications port for beaming messages to other Xtreme users. Heck - it even has a voice recorder and a walkie-talkie.

Better still, surf along to the Cybiko web site and you'll find more than 400 free games and applications available for download.

Of course, none of this technology is cheap. The Xtreme costs £99.99 when it goes on sale this month.

Its older brother, the Cybiko Classic, is available for £59.99. Want to know more? Then click on www.cybiko.com for more info.

Need extra weapons in Tenchu on the PlayStation? At the weapons select screen, hold R1 and press square, square, triangle, triangle, right, right, up and left.

Published: Friday, March 1, 2002