Audio

The music is a great mix of techno and grandiose movie style scores. Every stage is appropriately scored and you'll never hear anything that sounds out of place. Every punch, kick and explosion will rattle your speakers with booming base.


Playability

Every option you could want in a fighting games can be found DOA2. There is a versus mode, story mode and a fully customizable sparring (practice) mode. Added to these are:

Time Attack Mode: A race against the computer in a tournament of eight bouts.

Tag Battle Mode: A tag team battle of two characters against two. Players can go it alone against the computer, fight another player or battle up to four players, split into two teams, simultaneously

The game supports tag combo's which are easy to pull off and breathtaking to behold. Counters, a must in any respectable fight, have a large learning curve but reward you with some epic moments. All in all each character has a list of about thirty moves that mix the tap tap motions of Tekken with the semi circle movements of Street Fighter.


Longevity

Expect this disc to stay in your system a long time, the tag mode alone is worth the price of add mission. Even as I write this review the game stares at me waiting to be played, longing to be played. Any fighting game fanatic should have this title at the top of his/her list.


Final Word

FTecmo has a hot franchise brewing in Dead or Alive 2 if they can keep this calibre of development going they could earn themselves a place in fighting game history. Just a small note to the developers, thanks for toning down that bounce, I am still getting over the conclusion my wife gave me for playing the first game.



Review By: Mark Sciberras

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