I didn't know today would start Beat-Em-Up Week on DP, or even that there would ever be a Beat-Em-Up Week, but one of the games on my unplayed pile was Midway's Super Duper Sumos for Game Boy Advance. I picked it up at EB Games last week for $4.99. I finally pulled the GBA out of the drawer and tried it tonight. Surprisingly, it's really good.

I think it's based on a cartoon that I've never seen, but they didn't let it suck because of that fact. There are legions of enemies and items you can use to destroy enemies. You can also use super combo moves that you learn as the game progresses. The bosses are odd, ranging from a dinosaur that hides behind trees to a Christmas tree that throws ornament bombs.

It reminds me of Streets of Rage or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (there are even manholes to get stuck in). I guess if you have to imitate older games, it's good that Super Duper Sumos imitates two great ones. It even uses something like Mode 7 to do these transitions between the cinemas.

If I had a complaint, it would be that some overweight people might not like the jokes. All of the reflex mini-games between the stages are based around food, but if you can get past that fact, it's a really good game that most players will overlook (hence the cheap EB price).