"DOA is back, and this time Tecmo went to the archives and present us with an upgraded version of DOA2 and a direct port of DOA1. Cleary the centerpiece of this game is the new and much improved DOA2, so I\'ll be referring to that one in the review. At the core you\'ll find the same game as DOA3."
Overall: Team Ninja hits the mark again with a stunning rerelease of DOA1 and 2. While it isn't perfect, DOA2U is the best fighter I've played on the xbox to date. Both games were packaged together like the GTA collection that was released a while back, and it suffered the same problems.. Hardly anybody plays the older game! Only the really hardcore fans can be found playing DOA1 online, while many haven't even touched it. Gameplay: The gameplay in DOA2U is enough to appease any fan of the DOA franchise. It has most of the winning elements that xbox gamers grew to love in DOA3. The gameplay is quick and engaging, as well as ridiculously addictive.
One thing that I felt was missing from DOA2U was a set of more in-depth instructions in the sparring mode for beginners. While it still is a good place to start and learn the moves, it left out a few core gameplay elements and left this newbie a bit confused. "Danger reach" is hard to figure out the first time.
DOA1U (obviously) seems a lot slower and clunkier than DOA2U, and as a result it hardly gets any attention. Why would anyone but the most die-hard fans bother to play a legacy game when there's a faster, deeper, and better-looking version right in front of them? Graphics: Every game that Team Ninja has produced for the xbox looks simply stunning. The environments are the best yet, I never get tired of seeing the simulated sunshine on the meticulously detailed water and grass. Not to mention the character detail! Scores of different outfits make every match interesting.
DOA1u had sharper graphics than ever before, but they didn't refurbish it in the same way they did with DOA2u. Sound: Cool music and full japanese voiceovers are what I'd come to expect from my experience with DOA3, but I was hoping we'd be able to use custom soundtracks in this one! Especially since the last DOA Game (Xtreme beach volleyball) allowed us to use custom tracks. I was a bit disappointed by that, it would have been sweet.. but it's no that big a deal I guess. Suggestions: More in-depth sparring or training mode for beginners! Not everyone picking up the game is a seasoned pro!
Overall: Even it's jsut rehauled version of DOA 2, it's still got my time. Mostly in this one is just you have a great itro CG movie plus a tons of costumes for every character in the game. Gameplay: Well similar with DOA 3 with some little improvements, but now when you complete the game with each character, there are only cut-scenes from the start to finish. Since you can unlock the boss and Hitomi, you have a grand total of 15 characters to choose. Each one has his own martial arts and techniques of fighting. Yes, counter-attack really are the fantastic move that really pay off to mastered it, since you can deal great damage to your opponent when he just button-mashing. This will teach him that he must learn to fight not to press randomly to win. Graphics: The visual is improved over DOA 3, except for the DOA1 which it's just emulated from Sega Saturn version. More costumes means more visual that really impressed every audience. Sound: The music are great in each stage plus the sound effects really match each punch, kick, throw, counter-attack, wall blow, etc. Suggestions: DOA 4 is coming, thank you once again Tecmo and Team Ninja. I will always support cause you make great game and really the way we wanted. :)
Overall: Okay you know the score. Pick you favorite characters and fight, fight, fight! Having never owned a Dreamcast I never got to play the previous versions of the series but DOA3 was one of the main reasons I bought an xbox so I was completely thrilled when this game came out. Plus the fact that you can go online and play makes it even more perfect. IMO everything Team Ninja produces is gold. Gameplay: More characters, more costumes, more moves, improved graphics, and MP via xbox live. It doesnt get much better than this. Gamplay remains the same as the previous versions but now you have the ability to perform counter attacks which gives the fighting a wholenew layer of difficulty and realism. Playing against a skilled player online is like trying to square off against Pai Mei in Kill Bill. You might think your good but when you go up against someone who's mastered all these moves you'll feel like Uma Thurman. Oh yeah you also get a whole other game. Doa 1 which is cool if you wanna fight oldskool. Graphics: Perfect. Enivornments are super interactive and spectacularly detailed as are all the characters and their outfits. Plus it's pretty awesome to go online and discover a costume that you may not have ever seen. It's a real incentive to keep playing single player and unlock all the costumes. Sound: Everything sounds great even the fight music rocks (and I hate heavy metal!) but thats how good the game is. The fighting sounds are awesome and what you've come to expect from the DOA series. Overall great. Suggestions: Excellent job fellas. Cant wait for DOA 4 and xbox 360.
Overall: Overall the game is good. I dont like how they eliminated some characters which were in DOA3. They should have added them to DOA2. But the game is an improvement from DOA3 overall but online the lag is TERRIBLE... which hurts the game a lot. Gameplay: It's a good game. The story in the beginning is cool but i can't stand how short and dumb the final videos in this game are when you beat it. But the actual gameplay is good. Nice variation of moves, easy to control, lots of combos to learn, they made countering harded in this game which is VERY good. It was rediculously easy in DOA3 and very frustrating. Graphics: Visually they really did improve the game from how good DOA3 looked. The environments are big for a fighting game and very well done. Theres tons of costumes in this game as well which is awesome to have. Sound: Sounds very nice. The interactive sounds you can cause by damaging the environment is pretty neat and just adds that touch the game needs.
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