While an old game in the series, it's still a blast in the past!
User Rating: 9.1 | Dead or Alive 2 DC
Fighting games had no purpose back then. It was ignored by games that challenged the mind and took days, weeks, and even months to complete. In fact, the fighting genre, in the old days, did not require the gamer to think, but give you the one thing to do; to kick your opponent’s butt. However, things have changed, with good intent. This once neglected genre skyrocketed to a whole new level once Street Fighter II (developed by Capcom) hit the streets in the early 90s and proved to gamers that even fighting games can (and later dominate) do very well in the gaming business. Now, let us fast-forward ourselves to the present. It is obvious that many companies, including Namco and SNK, have been struggling to not only duplicate the success of Capcom’s flagship fighting series, but to also share the piece of glory and fame as well. It should be noted that some have succeeded, and others have failed in their task to create something original and innovative for the demanding public. Namco have already established a name for themselves by spawning another fighting series named Tekken. The question is what made this particular series gained popularity that quick? The answer is this; Namco not only provided the basic elements that made Street Fighter II distinguished among others, but also gave birth to a completely new cast of characters, a great story, and amazing gameplay that, simply put, wowed the crowd. Even Sega entered the fray and created Virtua Fighter, which was considered better than Tekken, because of the extensive move lists for all fighters, not to mention gameplay that required brain instead of brawn. As of today, both companies have been raging a war for the past couple of years. In the end, Namco has defeated Sega and already made it clear that they are indeed the better company and rule the fighting genre with an iron fist, thanks to Soul Calibur, a fighting game that blowed the competition away in terms of incredible visuals and solid, addictive gameplay. That’s where Dead Or Alive 2, produced and developed by Tecmo and released in the States on the Sega Dreamcast, comes into the picture and shatters what hopes (or not) Namco had in their future projects. But, wait a second! You’ve got two questions to ask yourselves: What is DOA2 and who the heck is Tecmo? For those who have been living in a cave since the NES began it’s reign, Tecmo were the ones responsible for classic game series, such as the Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Bowl series. If you’ll remember , they released a game titled Dead Or Alive on multiple consoles, which incorporated some fresh features to make the game interesting. For starters, they implemented counters and reversals that made the fights pretty fascinating. The other feature is perhaps the most outrageous feature to be invented in a fighting game and that is the bounce factor. Let’s just say that it not only offended female gamers who have seen or played the game, but also had many male gamers dropping their jaws to the floor. Now that we have acquainted ourselves with a taste of history that centers on the fighting genre and Tecmo, let us switch gears and discuss about the one aspect that any gamer will notice right off the bat; the graphics. Simply put, Team Ninja, the in-house developer for the company, took their sweet time on improving the visuals in every way possible and the end result will no doubt be welcomed with open arms. It should be noted that after many successes and failures, the majority of game companies were one step closer to bring games that delivered realistic characters and incredible backgrounds to satisfy consumers. Team Ninja took advantage of the system’s capabilities to accomplish just that and the final results shows. This game never head into a loose direction, but stays on the right path all the time. In other words, you’ll be witnessing amazing characters fighting each other to the death in hi-resolution backgrounds that runs on a speed of 60-fps, which is the most smoothest framerate that everyone can prefer, not showing any signs of slowdown or break-up whatsoever. The characters not only look amazing, but they also look – real. A perfect example of this is Jann Lee, who looks exactly like the man himself, Bruce Lee. He walks, screams his high-pitched voice, shakes with rage, and does everything like the master. In fact, the company was even cool enough to implement a quote from one of his movies, which was, “Don’t think, feel”. As for the backgrounds, for once, gamers will appreciate the hard work on what they did. Impressive little touches, from the ripples that appear when an opponent is knocked into the water to the shatter of glass that breaks, look pleasant for the eye to see. As for the camera angles, they won’t bother the player and always show a great view of the action. The sound, unfortunately, is truly a disappointment. The only negative aspect that you’ll hate is the music. In fighting games, you’ll be forced to listen to your typically techno soundtrack, which ends up good, but in this case, it doesn’t meld in with the gameplay. Sure, some tracks did fit the atmosphere, but most of them are annoying. The only remedy you’ll find for this is by plugging in one of your favorite band’s music CD and listen to that instead (in this reviewer’s case, a Metallica album). However, it is the sound effects that shine in the sound department. From the sounds of bones being crushed from a devastating move to the excellent voice acting that occurs during a cinema (albeit Japanese, yet it is translated), one should be clearly happy with the sound effects, although should cringe when the music hits and hurts your ears like a swarm of bees going for the kill. Finally, the most two important questions that you should ask before purchasing or renting Dead Or Alive 2 is will it be really fun and would it be a game that you can come back to from time to time? The fighting genre always continued a repeated cycle; choose your favorite character, defeat all who oppose you and you’re finished. After that, you’ll be forced to let the game collect dust for many years and never touch it again. However, Dead Or Alive offers plenty of things to explore, yet again, disappoints. After all, playing Soul Calibur will surely make you think that any company would be willing to follow Namco’s footsteps by adding in plenty of extras to make us happy, would you? While Tecmo doesn’t do justice with the extras, like adding in more costumes or little secrets that would make you come back for more, the modes offer plenty of fun though. However, let’s get one thing out of the way – beware of the AI. Why, you ask? The AI, even at the most uncomplicated difficulty, will throw the rulebook away and will do whatever it takes to win the match. Your opponent will counter your moves and reverse them, blowing up right in your face or use cheap moves and combos, not allowing you to once get up and fight back. Now that’s that settled, the gameplay has some cool modes for you to seek out and conquer. For those who never journeyed into the universe of DOA2 should head back to play the original. Everything from the first that made it a sleeper hit is here, including the bounce factor, which is a little bit distracting. It will take a long time for a beginner, average, or experienced player to master the long move list. Some can be found in the instruction manual, while the rest of the moves require trial and error, especially the combos, making this game a deep-curve experience. However, the Tag Mode is perhaps the only reason to purchase four controllers and invite three other friends over for a good time. In the Tag Mode, you can allow your partner (CPU Or Human, depending on whether or not your friend or two is with you) to switch in and continue to exchange blows with the enemy while you slowly regenerate your health from the beating that you receive. What makes the Tag Mode the best in DOA2 is that you and your partner can team up to do some devastating moves or, if you are quick enough, switch back and forth to deliver huge combos. In order to accomplish this, you must train in the Sparring mode (practice mode) to gain enough knowledge of your fighter’s abilities and moves. The action is always intense and quick, but if you are completely satisfied of the results, you can head into the options and give your life bar more life to make the fights longer and better. The only flaw that gamers will discover is that it will lose its fire. Like any other game, you will lose interest at some point in your gaming life and will never want to play the game again. In conclusion, Sega should once again be happy. With DOA2 under their belts, Team Ninja should now be considered as the most dangerous threat against Namco. Although Namco and Sega have already earned their glory, maybe it should be time for Tecmo to reign as the king of the fighting genre, thanks in part to the many aspects that make DOA2. The graphics are top-notch, the sound is excellent, and the gameplay provides a dose of replay value and fun factor for you to enjoy. If Namco can make a huge comeback and stealing Tecmo’s thunder by bringing modes that we have never seen to the table, then the creators of Tekken will no doubt rule the fighting genre with an iron fist once again. Nevertheless, for now, gamers should be happy to know that Dead or Alive 2 is a great sequel and is it worth the time and patience.
