If you ever doubted the Internet was making the world a smaller place, look no further than Boong-Ga Boong-Ga (translated: Smack 'Em), a new arcade game that has taken off in Japan and found its way onto the Internet.

The game could only ever have been made in Japan. It consists of the usual gun-on-lead of many shoot-em-ups but the gun is a fist with one finger sticking out. Then there is the legs and posterior built into the game, into which you poke the finger.

The harder you poke, the more the face on the console screen grimaces. No, seriously, we're not making this up. Look here now for a picture. Or check out the brochure here.

You can select a variety of characters from ex-girlfriend to prostitute to gangster to mother-in-law or, most disturbingly, child molestor.

The idea is that the game will be used by city dwellers to relieve their stress. At least that's what we ascertain from the writing on the side of the game which says: "What the heck..!! It's just waiting for the stress of city life. Give a shot. Have a fun!! Enjoy."

At the end of the game, it prints out a card regarding the player's "sexual behavior".

When we saw this, we were sure it couldn't be true. But from the pictures there's no doubt that this game exists physically even if the probability that this is a wind-up remains.

Of course, news of its has shot around over the Net (just do a Google search on "Boong-Ga Boong-Ga") although nearly all sites refer back to the same one or two sources. However, with a little delving, we have ascertained that the game is made by the Taff company in Korea - the makers of "Virtual Deep Sea Fishing".

Apart from a Korea Herald article supporting this, all other more authoritative sites are in Japanese or Korean. And we've just found an article by Wired which has gone to the trouble of getting various pundits to reflect on the game's significance.

It's a weird weird world out there. [Where do we get a copy?] ®