Could it really be a "Soul Caliber" killer?

Namco is probably cringing right now. Could their Soul Caliber truly be dethroned as the king of fighters? Read on my friends...

Whether it be wrestling or fighting one-on-one, this is my favorite genre of video game play. Although there are plenty of good fighting games out there, there hadn’t been a game better than Namco’s Soul Caliber. Now we have Dead or Alive 2 by the recently quiet company Tecmo, who has been truly been focusing on arcade gameplay the last few years. DOA 2 is the superior sequel to the good fighting game "Dead or Alive" which was popular in the arcade. The Promotional Hype for the game boasts unbelievable graphics, game speed and multiple game modes and that is exactly what it offers. This latest fighting game truly pushes the 128bits of power that the powerful Dreamcast can handle.

Graphics: Even people that don't play video games (if there are any people like that) will appreciate the visuals within DOA 2 which only the Dreamcast can handle. In a nutshell, the graphics are astounding! They do in fact look better than Namco's killer fighter Soul Caliber. The attention to detail obviously was one of Tecmo's top priorities. First of all, let’s take a look at the fighters themselves. If you don't know already, one of the "big" features in DOA 2 is the busty female fighters. For only having a teen rating, the game shows plenty of skin, but apparently not enough to sway the ESRB rating into giving it a mature rating. Speaking of skin, the skin on the fighters looks eerily real, not just on the women, but all the characters are as close to real as a home fighter has ever gotten. Just like Soul Caliber, DOA 2 has automatic replays of the final ending of the bouts which really gets you up close and personal to the fighters. This is where you can really see the detail on the characters. It truly needs to be seen to be believed.

Just like the characters, the glorious backgrounds are also spectacular. You’ll experience thriving sky schemes, and an incredible use of colors. And thanks to those developers, falling off ledges is now a thing of the past. Remember in Soul Caliber how you could be kicking in someone's teeth and all of the sudden you get grazed by a wimpy punch and fall into the water? That won’t happen here. DOA 2 allows for the fighters to have a second chance. After getting knocked off a level, you'll be whisked to a 2nd level to get a second chance to fight ( unless you are out of energy). This addition really increases the excitement to an already great game.

Although Tecmo offers bodacious babes for the obvious reasons, the heart of game is the gameplay which we'll get into below.

Control: People accustomed to the controls of Soul Caliber are going to think things are a bit quirky with DOA 2. And to be honest, the control is quirky and takes some getting used to. The hardest part of DOA 2 is the blocking because it requires more than a single button press. On offense, the control are pretty basic. You have your basic throw, kick and punch. As usual, using them in different combinations will do different moves. The combos when done right look fantastic on screen. There is nothing like a good consecutive five kicks then kick to the body to get a head start on your opponent.

But the coolest aspect about this game is being able to do counter moves. Virtually every move can be counteracted. Mostly it relies on timing and practice. Although perfecting it is tough, when it does occur, it really changes the momentum. Actual punches and kicks can be stopped dead in their tracks with the press of a button; it’s all a matter of timing. Blocking is still the key, so get that down first.

Sound: I really like the music in DOA 2. The music is more modernized and upbeat than Namco's orchestrated music in Soul Caliber. And not only is it good, there is tons of it.

I'm a bit puzzled why Tecmo didn't translate any English voices for some of the fighters. I have nothing against the Japanese language, but some good 'ol Americanized trash-talk would have been nice.

Final Call: Now the big question? Does this killer fighter have what it takes to knock out Namco's flagship fighter Soul Caliber? In my personal opinion, not quite. The graphics are probably equal if not better than Soul Caliber. However, the problem is that the one player mode seems a bit lacking and loses its kick after you have beaten it for the umpteenth time. It does offer modes similar to the modes offered by Soul Caliber (Survival, Story and Time Trial). The problem is that there aren't any good extras. What I mean by extras is that there are no secret characters to earn, you can't change wardrobes and there just aren't any secrets in general. If only Tecmo would have just spent a little more time splashing a bit more stuff on DOA 2.

Nevertheless, as a two-player game, you can't go wrong with Dead or Alive 2. It plays every bit as good as Soul Caliber and is a must have for people who love fighting games. And although the beautiful bouncing babes in this game are nice, it’s the intense action and incredible graphics that really make this game something special.

The Good And The Bad:
+ Best looking fighter around.
+ The bouncing babes.
+ Sound
+ Awesome gameplay, counter moves, killer special moves and great overall control.


- Not enough characters and no secrets to find or earn.


Reviewed by: John