Dragon Ball is a long running beat-'em-up franchise, but Burst Limit is its first outing onto a next generation platform. The result is that the anime-inspired graphics have never looked so good: the fighters are bold, bright and well animated, and special moves such as fireball blasts of ki power look resplendent. ("You say ki, we say chi, let's punch each other in the face...").

Beat-'em-ups aren't sluggish by nature, but Dragon Ball takes its lead from the sort of kung-fu antics you'd expect from Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. Characters dash across the screen in the blink of an eye, chaining lightning quick combos and special moves together.

Everything happens in a big hurry, and the player has to be very quick to get counter-moves in. With precise timing it's possible to deflect a fireball back at your opponent, dodge an incoming attack completely, or leap instantly back onto your feet after being knocked down. Get the timing wrong, on the other hand, and it's possible to look like a complete arse.

The clever thing about the control scheme is that it mainly employs the four principal joypad buttons, one for blocking, two for different types of attacks and one for power attacks. The triggers and other buttons are used to initiate certain special moves and character abilities, but the top four buttons and a good sense of timing make up the meat of your fighting skills.

If you've got the reflexes, some awesome combos can be executed, many of which involve flying and fighting in the air in Crouching-Tiger-on-wires style. At times the swift up and down movements can be disorienting, especially when you throw in the likes of vanishing attacks that teleport you instantly to the back of your opponent. Keeping track of the action isn't easy in these fast flowing moments.

But the initial acclimatisation period soon gives way to an understanding of how the fights work, and it's perfectly possible for even a newcomer to master some basic moves and soon be sticking it to the computer opposition on the normal difficulty level.

The main mode of play is a story driven campaign, although the plot makes even less sense than your average beat-'em-up (which is saying something). It's cheesy and fragmented Japanese nonsense, but all you really need to know is that the spiky haired guys hate each other.

The cut-scenes (or drama scenes as the game calls them) actually intrude into the fighting as well, which we weren't particularly fond of. The participants taunting each other in mid-fight certainly adds colour to the proceedings, but at the expense of making the action a little stilted. There's nothing worse than pulling off a killer combo, then having to wait for a drama scene to play out before you can continue kicking butt, especially when you've tackled the bout a few times and have watched the scenes before.

While it isn't without irritations, Burst Limit remains a challenging and playable beat-'em-up designed for those who like their action really thick and fast. On top of the main campaign, there's also a series of trial challenges (such as a take-on-all-comers survival game) and online play should you tire of the computer AI.

Burst Limit's fast button mashing action won't be for everyone, but it's an enjoyable quick-fire fighting game with impressive anime aesthetics.