Sequel gives new meaning to the words 'no i-deer'.

It began with Deer Hunter, the simulation which gave PC rednecks with itchy trigger fingers and a thirst for venison, the chance to blast away at a virtual game. The original Deer Avenger turned the tables, with the hunted turning hunter and firing a few well-aimed potshots of their own. While the first instalment may have provided a few chuckles at the expense of the hapless hunters, the one-dimensional concept and straightforward gameplay hardly seemed to warrant a follow-up.

Predictably, this one manages to raise a chuckle, but soon becomes tedious, as players fire from a fixed position across a few arcade-style locations. It is based on a simple premise and a predictable punchline, which fails to hold the attention beyond the first couple of rounds. It has a sense of humor which is weak to say the least, seemingly geared towards the dead bottom of the American market.

It kicks off with a Rambo-inspired sequence in which the hero vows revenge on the hunters who have cruelly killed his mate. Be warned, as this is the funniest gag in the whole game. Players begin by selecting the nonedited mode, as the guaranteed-not-to-offend version consists solely of flying pink elephants. Once into the game itself, players choose from a limited selection of locations, ranging from the residential area of Armpit Estates, the Business District and the Swamp A$$ Grill tavern. Each location is populated by a cast of cartoon characters, all armed to the teeth and ready to take on any deer to cross their path.

Having chosen a suitable weapon, players can begin firing animal tranquilizers at passers-by, all to a soundtrack of hillbilly music. The environments themselves are limited to simple scrolling scenes with a mediocre cartoon look, and the characters used as targets are not much better. These pop up occasionally, scattering a series of deleted expletives along with their rounds of ammunition. Although the bleep button is often used, some of the language seems gratuitous to say the least. In a similar vein, one special move apart from the "duck" button is the "fart" button. Hilarious indeed.

But the least funny aspect of this sequel is the fact that the developers must be laughing all the way to the bank, and this one really is indicative of a market in which endless sequels are churned out at the expense of more original titles. While the original may have been a mildly amusing take on hunting games and the values they represent, the designers have well and truly flogged this i-deer (get it, idea) to death. Also take note of the stupid disclaimer in the intro which says: "Nobody said sequels had to be exciting". Go see a movie instead.