Dead or Alive 2
Beat-em-up game : 1-4players : PS2 Memory Card : Analogue Dual Shock : SCEE / Tecmo
Result : 6 - More fun than a bouncy castle!
 | Graphics: 7 - Nice effects |
| FMV : 5 - A little tacky |
| Sound : 7 - Bone-crunching |
| Music : 5 - err... |
| A.I. : 5 - Speedy more than smart |
| Lifespan : 6 - loads of modes |
| Gameplay : 7 - Vicious reversals |
| Adrenaline : 7 - see above |
Dead or Alive 2's most notable/notorious feature, or should that be features, is the inordinate amount of detail developers put into realistic jiggling of the female fighters breasts. As normal for the current crop of this genre, you control one of many varied fighters battling for... <insert wafer thin plot> there are various motivations that are revealed in cut-scenes between fights, and the characters have had some thought to flesh out their often 2D personalities. Any excuse for a fight huh? Another nice feature the the fact that you actually hit the edge of the arenas, and can therefore slam your opponent into walls or off cliff edges, much better than the artificial feeling the Tekken arenas use.
There are lots of nice graphical effects, leaves blowing about etc, and the said movements of the fighters, but it's a little like Tekken with a touch more of the cartoon-feel rather than the "realistic" look TTT has gone for. It does look nice, but the limited arenas still give a slight revolving-box feeling.
Sound is good, maybe even excellent with decent thuds synchronised well with the onscreen action.
Overall it is faster and less combo intensive than Tekken, the ease of reversals makes even adequate players quite deadly and greatly increases the tension and excitement. Personally I am waiting for this stale genre to develop into something more...
Cheats/Hints:
Full option screen:
Press start during a game and tap x and triangle at the same time.
Unlimited Lives:
At the main menu hold R2 and press X and triangle. Then start a new game and save it. When
you load the game, you'll have unlimited lives.
Bounce Trick:
Go to the menu called other. In there, the age you enter determines how bouncy the girls
are, the higher or the more mature your age, the bouncier they get. (they = boobs)
Big heads:
First, beat the game with any girl. Then at the start screen, press and hold X, Circle,
Square, Triangle, and Up.
Get the Last Item in Collection Mode: (Gold Medal)
The Gold Medal will appear in Survival Mode after defeating 50 opponents CONSECUTIVELY.
For those who say "I can't defeat 50 guys !", here's a tip for you: When playing
against the Computer in Survival mode, when your life gauge is down and about to be
defeated, press the START button on Player 2 to make a character interfere your match
against the Computer and fight against you. Defeat that character (It'll be easy; just
keep your opponent standing still and beat 'em up !), then select "CPU MATCH".
Your # of consecutive wins will stay as it was before the interference, and you'll be able
to continue your challenge with your life gauge full ! Then keep doing this over and over
and you'll get the Gold Medal, someday.
Different winning poses
After defeating your opponent and before viewing the winning pose, press either the
Square, Triangle or Circle button, then the player can select his/her winning pose
depending on which button the player presses.
Different camera angles during the winning pose
To change camera angle-- Use the Directional pad while pressing the Triangle button.
Zoom in -- Press the Square button while pressing the Triangle button.
Zoom out -- Press the Circle button while pressing the Triangle button.
Replay mode control
Press down both Square and Circle buttons prior to viewing the Replay mode.
This allows the player to replay backwards by pressing the Triangle button.
Extra Tag Mode
By pressing the Start button to select Tag Mode, the Computer's Tag team and
their costumes will be randomly selected automatically.
Different Start Points
On the "Stage Select" screen, by pressing the Square button to select the
following stages, the player will be able to start at the lower bottom half of these
stages.
The White Storm
The Demon's Church
The Crimson
The Burai Zenin
The Dragon Hills
Changing Hair Styles
Kasumi Hair Style #1: Press O when selecting her as a character.(C7 & C8 Costumes do
not work)
Kasumi Hair Style #2: Press X when selecting her as a character.
Helena Hair Style: #1 Only works with C3 costume, press O when selecting her.
Ayane Fatality (Well Almost)
When fighting Kasumi on the Snow level try to knock her out with a Punch or Kick that will
make her fly away from you and you will get the fatality sequence.
Zacks Gets The Groove On and Steaming with Love.
1) Costume #5 Taunt someone and his eyes and chest will steam up.
2) Special Taunt: When a opponent is knocked down, press Up + Punch-Kick, followed by
Left-Right Punch+Kick.
Changing Time of Day (Stages: Aerial Garden and Iron Hell)
You can change the Time of Day by pressing the O button when selecting a stage.
