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Review: Dead or Alive 2 LE |
It…it’s Dead or Alive 2! But…with secrets … and loads of new costumes! 100%!
OK, OK, I overreacted. But ask anyone who owns the US version of Dreamcast DOA2 what one thing they’d improve about it and the second most popular answer after “naked mud-wrestling mode” would be the inclusion of some unlockable extras, to, you know, ‘extend the lifespan.’
Grrr. Don’t worry, the rest of the “Higher Voltage” staffers are standing behind me with various spiky instruments making sure I don’t start moaning about extras replacing gameplay and so forth.
So…. now we have the original US version, a European version, where some of the US costumes have to be earned, a Japanese PS2 version (DOA2: Hardcore) and now, the Japanese DC version, released some half a year after the US version, despite Tecmo’s earlier statement they wouldn’t be releasing one. We believed them. Obviously there must be some Japanese DC market worth releasing to, and hopefully this game will boost DC sales 5000%, as those lonely salarymen we all hear so much about scurry back to their tiny apartments with a copy of the game and a extra large box of tissues. Sorry.
But I have a point somewhere there — as soon as you pick up the box it’s clear that the ecchi factor has been boosted substantially. No longer do Ein and the logo fill up the front cover, nope, Kasumi and Ayane now can be found looking seductively at the viewer with their big brown eyes and small, pouting mouths. Ahem. Kas adorns the back of the box too, and of the five small screenshots under her cleavage, three of them feature some near-underwear shots.
Even the image on the CD itself is provocative, Kasumi sitting naked on a rock overlooking the sea, the tips of her breasts obscured by the hole in the centre of the disk. (If that’s not a reason to get the original instead of burning a copy I don’t know what is.)
You also get the “full” intro right off, complete with “nude Kasumi-Alpha in a blob” shot, and yes, you can see her nipples now. Isn’t that great?
Heh, I haven’t even started the game yet and I’m exhausted. Uh…oh dear.
Anyway, despite what it’s been called, this *isn’t* a “limited edition” or “special edition” or whatever else … it’s Dead or Alive 2 .. just the Japanese version. So there are no new titles or logos or anything else that, as far as the game is concerned it’s the original version. Comparisons to Capcom’s Streetfighter 2: Championship Edition have been made, but it’s really more like the revised versions of Mortal Kombat Midway always put out. This one could be considered the “final” release.
As nice as a change would be for those of us who owned the US version, there’s just no real call for it - so the intro is the same, the menus and select screens are the same…
So what *is* new? What exactly are the new features, and are they worth prostituting yourself for that extra hour to be able to afford it?
Well, as any self-respecting pervert … I mean, Dead or Alive fan knows, it’s all about the costumes. Ever since DOA1 gave us such pleasures as French maid outfits, micro-bikinis and uh bunny suits, the delights the massive increase in power the DOA2 engine would bring were keenly anticipated. Alas, it was something of a let-down. The small number of costumes, the fact they were all available from the start, the often boring nature of said clothes. People were outraged. Crowds formed in the streets. Things got ugly. When the PS2 version was released with its many costumes and enhancements, there were squeals of joy from owners of the machine, and howls of pain from DC owners.
Now while this DC release doesn’t have all the features of the PS2 version (mumble mumble) — it does have lots and lots of costumes. AT LEAST 71. And some of them are great! Tina’s 3rd (the leather thong with cats ears) stands out (erhm ehrm), as do some of Kasumi’s and Lei Fang’s later ones. And even the guys have some good ones! Zack still has his “tin foil Teletubby” outfit and Jann-Lee gets his l33t “Businessman” suit. Excellent.
The more you play the game, the more are unlocked, and keeping track of your statistics is another new feature, the “UPS” system. Courier joke. It’s pretty much like the “records” section in the US version, except it’s a separate file that you can name, meaning you can have more than one, and you even get the option to use it or not after picking your character. There are a couple of further differences — you earn points and bronze, silver and gold stars as you fight, all which contribute to unlocking stuff.
The other big “unlock” is two secret characters. The first is Bayman, the grappler from DOA1, whose moves and style Leon stole. The other (and I can barely contain my joy here) is Tengu. Yes the stupid fat, big nosed, winged end boss. I am so happy about that, I can tell you.
Other new features are built in from the start. There are three new stages. Two are locations from DOA1, recreated absolutely beautifully featuring infinitely more depth and detail than their Model2 ancestors. I tell you, it brought a tear to my eye fighting in the “L’s Palace” stage once again.
The third stage is a new extension of an existing one. At the “Dragon Hills” stage, as well as falling off the roof onto the level below, it is also possible to be smashed through the wooded panels at the back — and you fall into a huge man-made cavern with a giant dragon statue in the background. It really is rather excellent.
But even more excellent are the new cutscenes. Ever character has at least one new sequence where they talk to someone or do something. Lei Fang and Tina’s rock breaking, Jann-Lee punching out candle flames, Zack being attacked by an enraged Bass … wonderful stuff, and the increase in number means they happen all the more frequently, making the “Story” mode more cinematic than ever before.
Another new feature is the totally pointless “Watch Mode” — where you pick two characters and a stage, and they fight, presumably forever as the life bars regenerate after each hit. I can’t really see much use for this mode, unless you’re going to pick two sexy lady combatants and … and… uh .. I don’t think I want to go there actually. OK, so it’s *nearly* useless :/
The last option is an “Internet” icon, which apparently connects to the Tecmo Network Fanclub. (Stupid modem-less Asian DC…*kick*)
Although not available right at the start, it doesn’t take to long for the CG Gallery, the last big change, to appear. 20 pictures of all the men from DOA2, oiled up and clad in tiny swimming trucks, wrestling each other with flowers in their hair. OK. I’m lying. It’s lots of pics of the girlies, a mixture of rendered and traditional artwork, some using both techniques in one picture. Some of them are really quite hot. Yum. Needless to say, this adds nothing to the gameplay but is great for building up those wrist muscles. Oops.
Oh, and if you put the disk into a PC and examine it, you’ll find the traditional “BONUS” folder with five *new* images that weren’t in the US version. Sweet! Tina is now adorning my desktop, looking very appetising in her blue bikini….
There are apparently some new moves, and a lot more of those funky “tag team throws.” I’m not sure, but there seem to be some slightly different AI routines too .. the CPU does a few setups and sequences that I don’t remember seeing in the original … and I don’t ever recall seeing Tengu’s Spinning Piledriver before. Perhaps I’m getting forgetful in my old age.
Other than these things here, it’s your basic DOA2, which is still a very fast, intuitive and satisfying fighter. It is worth owning if you have another version? Well … I got rid of my US version a few days before getting the Jpn one — for me anyway it wasn’t worth having both games, knowing I’d never touch the older one ever again. I guess it depends on how much you liked the game and how much money you have lying around the place. As I said earlier, it’s not a sequel, or even a special edition and if you buy it expecting big changes from the US version you’ll be disappointed. And I’d just like to add at this late stage, that IMO, Kasumi is *the* horniest female fighting game character of all time. Yes.
If you don’t have any of them on the DC — this is undoubtedly the best one to buy: there’s very little Japanese text and seeing as there’s an option to have English subtitles in the movie sequences — it’s just like playing a native game.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my broker is on the phone: shares in Associated Hand Cream Inc. have just doubled in value….
