Like Max Payne only with stereotypes. Mastertronic brings us Made Man, a game of climbing the ranks of a New York City mafia family.

You play Joey Verola, son of an Italian immigrant, who happened his way into the mob life. As Joey you save the life of Johnny 'Eggs' Biondo, nephew to Phil Lombardi. Phil is a high level man in the Frazone crime family. It's all very Brady Bunch meets The Soprano's.

Even though the game tells you the story of how Joey moves up through the ranks of the Frazone family it can get a little hard to follow because the levels/story actually jump around in chronological order. You start the game with the very first job Joey ever had in the mob, then the next mission has you jump back to when you first meet Eggs in Vietnam, then back to finish the original mission. The narration between missions is done nicely, via Joey telling basically his life story to the other hood in the car.

The game has some well implemented, innovative, game play elements. The cover system is done fairly well, diving into cover is a bit buggy at times though. But for the most part it works well, it feels good to be propped up behind an object then to jump up and blast your foe's head off with a sawed-off. And with destructible barricades it adds a slight challenge because you can't always hang out at the same one for a long period of time. As I found out while trying to hide behind a pallet of cigarette cartons.

The game also uses some picture-in-picture help you out along the way. It will show you the location of weapons, conversations being had elsewhere, and on occasion your enemies perspective to help you during those difficult fights, particularly with snipers.

As for the combat, what the game is all about, it's pretty straight forward. You've got guns, they've got guns, whomever runs out of ammo first loses. Luckily, ammo is plentiful. Head shots are very satisfying what with the blood splatter that follows. And if you happen just to injure your foes enough to drop them you can do a retaliation shot. Your enemy spats something unpleasant at you, you give a brief retort, then blow their brains out onto the floor.

Oh and going Rambo on everyone with dual AK-47's is a just as much fun as it sounds. Although pray to God if you run out off bullets first

Made Man is another game with a good premise, young guy rising through a strong mafia family, but was implemented in a mediocre fashion. It took the best things from games such as Max Payne and The Godfather and dulled them up. I'd say play either of those instead, but to each his own. I'll give it a 7 out of 10. Bada-bing.