'Dead' makes for lively gaming

If "Dead or Alive 2" was a Pokemon character, it would be named Jigglypunch. That's right, the game that set new standards of videogame bounciness in the chests of its female sprites has returned with a sequel further exploring the boundaries of physics models.

"DOA2" explores much more area than that, although the above mentioned attributes have been monopolizing most of the attention towards the game. The game resembles a hybrid of two previously released Dreamcast fighters, "Virtua Fighter 3" and "Soul Calibur." The complicatedly rendered backgrounds and excellent character design bring "Soul Calibur" to mind, while "DOA2"'s cartoonish character color scheme, hand to hand combat system and occasionally multileveled combat levels recall "VF3."

Which is not to say that "DOA2" is redundant. The game merges attributes from both games is a very satisfying manner. "Soul Calibur" largely failed to make use of its beautiful settings; "DOA2" allows players to damage one another by throwing each other off of roofs, into various electrified objects or through stained glass windows whose shards glitter in the air around the falling body. This is an obvious improvement from "VF3"'s interesting but very humdrum background interactions on the order of having sloping stairs that might improve an attack position in a scene that might be considered shamefully simple by the standards of its fellows.

"DOA2"'s story mode pits its 12 characters against each other in a fighting contest. The Hulk Hogan-looking pro wrestler has to win to get his wrestler daughter to be less sexy, the daughter has to win to be more sexy, the opera singer has to win to come to terms with having her mother shot to death all over said singer's face and so on. For some reason, all of these quests end up with fighting some sort of Pinocchio/Santa Clause/Incredible Hulk spirit called Evil Tengu who claims loudly that everything is his delusion. I guess he's the designer of the game.

There's a bumper crop of other modes, including not only the requisite versus and practice modes but also tag team matches for big time fun. Put everything together and you have a solid platter of entertainment that goes beyond the limits you might expect in a cheesecake fighter.

satisfying manner. "Soul Calibur" largely failed to make use of its beautiful settings; "DOA2" allows players to damage one another by throwing each other off of roofs, into various electrified objects or through stained glass windows whose shards glitter in the air around the falling body. This is an obvious improvement from "VF3"'s interesting but very humdrum background interactions on the order of having sloping stairs that might improve an attack position in a scene that might be considered shamefully simple by the standards of its fellows.

"DOA2"'s story mode pits its 12 characters against each other in a fighting contest. The Hulk Hogan-looking pro wrestler has to win to get his wrestler daughter to be less sexy, the daughter has to win to be more sexy, the opera singer has to win to come to terms with having her mother shot to death all over said singer's face and so on. For some reason, all of these quests end up with fighting some sort of Pinocchio/Santa Clause/Incredible Hulk spirit called Evil Tengu who claims loudly that everything is his delusion. I guess he's the designer of the game.

There's a bumper crop of other modes, including not only the requisite versus and practice modes but also tag team matches for big time fun. Put everything together and you have a solid platter of entertainment that goes beyond the limits you might expect in a cheesecake fighter.