Whilst this series saw two releases on the N64 in Japan, it never saw a US or European release. The Gamecube incarnation, however, seems destined to reach our shores in the future.

Custom Robo, as the name suggests, is a game that allows you to customise robots, then fight to the death with them in massive 4 player battles.

This customisation has five different aspects; the body will define the basic look of your robot, and initial strength and speed values. Next comes the weapons, the primary gun being your most common weapon, with a choice of automatics, single shot, and others. You also have an explosive weapon to choose, such as bombs and missiles. Then you have your 'smart' weapon, which has the ability to seek your chosen enemy. The final selection is your boots. Whilst this may not sound important it will define how your robot evades attack, altering jumping abilities and dash speeds. There's plenty of scope for building robots, with some 200 parts to choose from.

Whilst the concept of Super Smash Bros : Melee style battles with robots is certainly something to get excited about, the game will also have a comprehensive single player mode. Said to have sci-fi RPG elements, you search for an explanation for the existance of a particularly powerful foe, unwrapping hidden secrets of the world of these robots.

But really, it's the multiplayer that will attract gamers to Custom Robo, so there are more options than just 4 player scraps. There's a two on two battle mode, and also a tag-team mode too.

The robots in the game look rather impressive. As they emerge from their cubes that are thrown into the arena before battle begins it's obvious that plenty of work has gone into them, looking much more mature than the robots seen in Capcom's Gotcha Force, which seems to have a similar concept. As missiles and bombs go off the explosive effects can be seen, and they too are impressive.

There are said to be 30 battle arenas in the game, but those seen so far appear to be a little simplistic in terms of looks. What makes them interesting, however, is that there are plenty of areas to take cover from enemy fire, giving the game a more tactical element, Do you keep behind cover and try to hit your enemy when they least expect it, or do you go in all guns blazing? You choices will probably come down to the type of robot that you have built.

Custom Robo is certainly not the type of game that the West has seen much of before, and the multi-player is very appealing. From Nintendo's words on the title they seem intent to state that the single player mode is also a worthy game alone. Could it really be a great single player AND multiplayer game? I hope so.