THE Dreamcast may have enjoyed the shortest honeymoon of any games console launched in recent memory, but those who dismiss Sega's machine out of hand may be writing it off too soon.

Sony's PS2 will launch later this month with an impressive line-up of titles but it cannot hope to compare with the Dreamcast back catalogue for some time yet.

The gaps in Sega's portfolio are being rapidly plugged ahead of the Sony machine's launch.

In recent weeks we have seen a decent driving game (Ferrari F355), a solid football title (Worldwide Soccer: Euro Edition) and now a very impressive wrestling game in the shape of WWF: Royal Rumble (THQ; £39.99).

WWF Attitude should have been the title grapple fans wanted but it was rushed out the door to cash in on the Dreamcast launch. As a result it was heavily based on the PlayStation version and the critics rightly laid into its poor graphics and sluggish fighters.

WWF Royal Rumble has been designed with input from Sega itself to make use of every last ounce of horsepower to be found beneath the DC's bonnet. A trip to your local arcade will probably reveal a WWF: Royal Rumble cabinet - the game has been designed for both home and arcades.

The result is a title that's fast and smooth with a rock-solid frame rate that doesn't struggle no matter how many characters are on screen at once.

Fight fans will find the characters instantly recognisable; they even snarl and shout at each other just like the real thing.

Matches aren't confined to the ring. Jump out and your opponent will follow. Sometimes a tussle will even continue behind the scenes with scraps in the locker room, the boiler room and even the kitchen.

There's no commentary and, until games programmers work out a way of making announcers sound like the are reacting to what's happening on screen and not just repeating endless phrases, that's a good thing.

Some wrestling games are a bit too solemn for their own good. No one takes WWF wrestling seriously do they?

WWF: Royal Rumble has a refreshing sense of humour. Don't believe me? Try taking part in an exhibition match and wait for your fellow grapplers to join in with their own cheer leading.

Downsides? Well, not everyone finds wrestling games enjoyable and there's nothing here that will make them change their opinion. Critics would be advised to look at something like Soul Calibur instead.

Fans of the genre (and there are a lot) will find plenty in WWF: Royal Rumble to enjoy. It will be a while yet before Sony's great pretender has a bone-breaker that's as good.