Dead Or Alive 2 is a game about extremes. Almost everything it does pushes a limit somewhere. Everything from its trademark bounciness to its exquisite look has caused heads to turn.
Take, for instance, its graphics. Each player within Dead Or Alive 2 has been lovingly rendered down to the smallest nuance. With the power of the Dreamcast at its disposal, DOA2 does not leave any harsh, sharp edges but smoothes each character down to almost human-like sleekness. When Kasumi, with the wind softly moving her flowing skirts, steps up to battle, it is hard not to be awestruck. Each fighter's movements impersonate the ebb and flow of real life with a deceivingly beautiful grace.
Little elements help to make this title a masterpiece. Things like, well, shoes. When you see how much care and precession has been taking in rendering a small detail such as a boot, it really makes you appreciate the passion within this title. In one of the alternate outfits of Lei Feng, she wears a skintight leather outfit, with a pair of black boots. These boots have red shoelaces. Not only can you tell these are red shoelaces, you can also tell they are tied, and you can watch each individual end of the shoelace move during a battle. Even the unique tread on the bottom of the boot has been rendered. These finer points prove that details matter to Tecmo.
However, don't think that DOA2's beauty is only skin deep. A fighting game cannot survive without a competent fighting engine. Dead Or Alive 2 uses an engine that provides the almost perfect balance that most players hope for. One that is easy to pick up but almost impossible to master. Fighting at a blazing speed that Street Fighter II Turbo alumni will appreciate, DOA2 gives you complete control over difficulty within every aspect of this title. A beginner can step up and after setting the game to easy or even normal and be able to stand a chance. Veterans can jump in and, using the higher difficultly settings, expect a challenge as they attempt to master the intricacies of the counter attack system.
The Dreamcast version of Dead Or Alive 2 is much more than a simple port. Tecmo has added a hearty list of enhancements for Dreamcast owners. Along with the now requisite time attack, survival, and versus modes DOA2 features a Tag Battle, which will allow up to 4 players to engage in the action or let 2 players work cooperatively against a computer team.
While no game is perfect, the list of problems with DOA2 is quite slim. The translation from Japanese to English is confusing and some times just downright wrong. However, this has virtually no effect on the gameplay whatsoever, unless somehow the few chuckles it causes detracts from your skills. Also, the level lay out causes some objects to go semi-transparent when they camera swings past them in order for them to not block the view of the action. While not blocking the action is a good thing, it can sometimes be a distraction.
DOA2 will be one of the titles, much like original Tecmo Super Bowl, that will cause gamers a few years from now to pull out their "old" Dreamcast, dust it off, and fire up a couple of rounds. It is what we refer to as a classic.
Create an Account
Member Login
