Dead or Alive Online
- December 22, 2003 14:34 PM PST
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Fighting games have never done well as online games. Can Team Ninja do what hasn't been done before? New screens inside.
Xbox Live is about to get a punch in the gut from Dead or Alive Online, the first 3D fighting game for the service. While the main draw will obviously be the competition against human opponents over the Internet, the game also serves as a collection of the early installments.The original Dead or Alive for the Sega Saturn is recreated in its original form, enabling players to experience a version that has never officially been seen on these shores. The game did have a U.S. release in arcades and on the PlayStation, but developer Team Ninja has stated that the Saturn version is the most perfected of the bunch.
On the other hand, Dead or Alive 2 has been completely revamped and upgraded to take full advantage of the Xbox?s hardware. Original stages are improved and new ones added; story elements are expanded; and character models are rebuilt from the ground up, so they are quite different from those seen in Dead or Alive 3. A signature feature of the series that?s been a big hit with fans is the numerous unlockable costumes for each character. Time constraints prevented DOA3 from having very many, but Dead or Alive Online promises to rectify that situation with a good healthy dose.
Fighting games suffer greatly if there are latency problems -- just ask anyone who has played Capcom vs. SNK -- so here's hoping Tecmo has some neat tricks up its online sleeve in time for the game?s March debut.
