Number 27: Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, Tecmo 2000
Intro:
Letting the title sit will show you demonstrations of each character, as well as a little story and some AI combat. The title screen shows backgrounds from the game. The menu works the same way as character and setting selection, which is nice but a little dry and boring.
Getting Going:
Selecting a character is easy enough, but Random is a mysterious invisible option that takes a little hunting for players to figure out. Selecting alternate outfits is made easier than other games, though it never tells you how to do it explicitly. Controls are a bit uniquel, and while this fighter plays differently than many others as a result, its difficult to drop into the game and keep the controls straight.
Fun:
As any good fighter, the fun really lies in becoming a more skilled combatant and then beating up your friends for bragging rights. This can be heightened by the tag team mode, where players tag in another human or character to fight, which can be used very effectively to build combos, or very selfishly to use the partner as a meat sheild. The flashy looks and aesthetically pleasing graphics help, and multi-tiered fighting arenas are always a welcome addition.
Visuals:
Clean, smooth characters. Nice, erm, fabric physics. Not too complex or gripping by today's standards, but no shame in it either. No clear tricks are present. Slowdown and blurring when a player loses in Survival mode is dramatic, but similar effects when one player goes down in Tag mode is just annoying and impedes on the flow.
Intelligence:
The more difficult AI opponents continue to confound me with their ability to execute difficult combos and abilities with ease, while magically blocking or countering most everything I can dish out. I always prefer playing against other humans in fighters, because they react to defeat instead of just tallying it and continuing to execute devastating moves I may have never seen before.
Immersion:
Needing to focus on every second of the action just to keep from becoming a new stain on detailed virtual landscapes is enough, though loading and saving take a while and get a little frustrating. Also, fights are a bit on the short side, so a poor start can and will lead to defeat in what would have been an even match, which I find hugely frustrating. And terrible TERRIBLE translation and voice acting make me shudder every time a character utters coherent language.
Cameras:
The camera is usually pretty good, but certain combos and throws, which force the camera to get a good look, can obscure the player's vision a little, as evidenced by some rounds where a sudden camera change as such kept me from seeing a blow that meant me losing when I could have blocked or dodged, had I seen the attack clearly.
Controls:
The relatively simple controls allow for a minimum of control learning and a maximum of personal improvement, though playing other fighters can make the unusual scheme a bit frustrating. Having a different gaurd and counter for all three zones (low, medium, and high) seems a little excessive, especially after so many games were mid-blocking also covers high attacks.
Ideas:
Giving player's profiles to play against eachother with is a great idea, despite the long save times before and after every match. Counters that work for EVERY attack are a nice touch, and often is the point that seperates the lucky newbies from the dedicated (but tired) Korean. Tag battles offer a lot of technique and strategy to players who are good at communication with other humans, but can be highly frustrating with poor communicaters.
Memory:
Despite forcing me to learn ANOTHER control scheme just to beat people up, I have a REALLY fun time with this game and whenever I go back, I'm still happy as a clam at a high tide. My memories however are plagued with being completely and needlessly crushed, thanks to battles that seem far too short. It's a fun game, but the experience seems a little generic nowadays compared to games like Soul Calibur and Guilty Gear, which bring a lot more personality to the series.
Letting the title sit will show you demonstrations of each character, as well as a little story and some AI combat. The title screen shows backgrounds from the game. The menu works the same way as character and setting selection, which is nice but a little dry and boring.
Getting Going:
Selecting a character is easy enough, but Random is a mysterious invisible option that takes a little hunting for players to figure out. Selecting alternate outfits is made easier than other games, though it never tells you how to do it explicitly. Controls are a bit uniquel, and while this fighter plays differently than many others as a result, its difficult to drop into the game and keep the controls straight.
Fun:
As any good fighter, the fun really lies in becoming a more skilled combatant and then beating up your friends for bragging rights. This can be heightened by the tag team mode, where players tag in another human or character to fight, which can be used very effectively to build combos, or very selfishly to use the partner as a meat sheild. The flashy looks and aesthetically pleasing graphics help, and multi-tiered fighting arenas are always a welcome addition.
Visuals:
Clean, smooth characters. Nice, erm, fabric physics. Not too complex or gripping by today's standards, but no shame in it either. No clear tricks are present. Slowdown and blurring when a player loses in Survival mode is dramatic, but similar effects when one player goes down in Tag mode is just annoying and impedes on the flow.
Intelligence:
The more difficult AI opponents continue to confound me with their ability to execute difficult combos and abilities with ease, while magically blocking or countering most everything I can dish out. I always prefer playing against other humans in fighters, because they react to defeat instead of just tallying it and continuing to execute devastating moves I may have never seen before.
Immersion:
Needing to focus on every second of the action just to keep from becoming a new stain on detailed virtual landscapes is enough, though loading and saving take a while and get a little frustrating. Also, fights are a bit on the short side, so a poor start can and will lead to defeat in what would have been an even match, which I find hugely frustrating. And terrible TERRIBLE translation and voice acting make me shudder every time a character utters coherent language.
Cameras:
The camera is usually pretty good, but certain combos and throws, which force the camera to get a good look, can obscure the player's vision a little, as evidenced by some rounds where a sudden camera change as such kept me from seeing a blow that meant me losing when I could have blocked or dodged, had I seen the attack clearly.
Controls:
The relatively simple controls allow for a minimum of control learning and a maximum of personal improvement, though playing other fighters can make the unusual scheme a bit frustrating. Having a different gaurd and counter for all three zones (low, medium, and high) seems a little excessive, especially after so many games were mid-blocking also covers high attacks.
Ideas:
Giving player's profiles to play against eachother with is a great idea, despite the long save times before and after every match. Counters that work for EVERY attack are a nice touch, and often is the point that seperates the lucky newbies from the dedicated (but tired) Korean. Tag battles offer a lot of technique and strategy to players who are good at communication with other humans, but can be highly frustrating with poor communicaters.
Memory:
Despite forcing me to learn ANOTHER control scheme just to beat people up, I have a REALLY fun time with this game and whenever I go back, I'm still happy as a clam at a high tide. My memories however are plagued with being completely and needlessly crushed, thanks to battles that seem far too short. It's a fun game, but the experience seems a little generic nowadays compared to games like Soul Calibur and Guilty Gear, which bring a lot more personality to the series.