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[Saturnman]

Not that I was expecting otherwise, but after playing it, I have no idea what took so long to get this game out.

It looks like DOA3, with perhaps subtlely better character models and stronger lighting, but aside from that, it's the same game... minus some characters (you can unlock some though). The backgrounds are familiar, but revamped somewhat with fancier effects. In fact, the backgrounds are the high point, in a superficial way.

So far, all I've only talked about is the DOA2 CD. The other CD.... oh my, it's the fricking Saturn port of DOA1, a bit cleaner perhaps, but otherwise the very same. What's the point? No enhancement? I would perhaps have been more forgiving if that had been the arcade original. Why even bother with 2 CD's? This is as bad as some of the Sega arcade ports on PC (which often were Saturn ports... of arcade games).

 

[TheDuce22]

All I know is its by far the best online fighter I have played. There is ZERO lag when you play someone with a green connection.

 

[Saturnman]

Have you played DOA2 and 3 before?

Granted, they weren't online, but it's still the same game.

 

[Jonnyram]

The netcode is what took all the time. It's impeccable. And the online play modes are good too. But overall, I feel the standalone game is too expensive for what it is. At least I got the Xbox bundle so it was good value, but 9000+ yen for DOA online!? You've gotta be kidding me.

 

[TheDuce22]

What he said. The netcode is perfect, apparently that takes time.

 

[Kobun Heat]

At least I got the Xbox bundle so it was good value

Holy shit, you got the sex pillow?

 

[Jonnyram]

Holy shit, you got the sex pillow?

Yes, and it's lubberly.

 

[Bebpo]

The netcode is what took all the time. It's impeccable. And the online play modes are good too. But overall, I feel the standalone game is too expensive for what it is. At least I got the Xbox bundle so it was good value, but 9000+ yen for DOA online!? You've gotta be kidding me.

I wanted the bundle as like you said it was a good deal. But they were all sold out so I had to go with the standard xbox + 9000yen DOA >.<

Haven't gotten online yet, so I do agree with the original poster. Visually it's nice but not mind-blowing and isn't that impressive after the amazing Ninja Gaiden. The offline is fun for 12 hours while you unlock everything, but it's sure as hell not 9000yen fun (especially considering the unlocking method is so repetitive) :\ Playing DoAU just makes me want to play NG again. Since a whole bunch of the stage areas look straight out of NG.

 

[Lyte Edge]

The online play is what makes this game worth it. The revamped counter system is good too.

But beyond that, there really is no reason for this game. I would have rather have had DOA3 online with the revamped counter system instead. I'm not going to complain though; the game is a blast online, and there's some nice extras to unlock from single player.

 

[TheDuce22]

The offline is fun for 12 huors while you unlock everything, but it's sure as hell not 9000yen fun :\ Playing DoAU just makes me want to play NG again.

The online play is well worth the money IMO. The only reason to play through story mode is to unlock the costumes.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Besides the jaggies, the difference in the character models is almost unnoticeable with DOA2U and Hardcore for PS2. The backgrounds look sharper and the resolution is higher...otherwise visually, both games looked similar to me. But yeah, it was the netcode that took so long.

 

[Lyte Edge]

Besides the jaggies, the difference in the character models is almost unnoticeable with DOA2U and Hardcore for PS2. The backgrounds look sharper and the resolution is higher...otherwise visually, both games looked similar to me.

No.

 

[Argyle]

The best thing I can say about this game online is that it's playable when you have a good connection...

It's still not the same as playing locally. The lag totally kills me even when things are going well, and it can be absolutely miserable at times...

It's also entirely possible that I just suck at the game, but I dunno, I watched someone with an A+ rank play and all he did was the same move over and over. (As soon as people started to figure out how to counter, he quit...) I think that kind of play works mainly because the lag makes it hard to counter moves with quick startup that normally could be countered on reaction if you weren't playing online.

But I'm no DOA guru, so that's just my opinion...

Oh yeah, both games fit on one disc (and you can play either game online from either disc)...so why does the game come with two discs again? I guess you can share with a friend...

 

[Sho Nuff]

Besides the jaggies, the difference in the character models is almost unnoticeable with DOA2U and Hardcore for PS2. The backgrounds look sharper and the resolution is higher...otherwise visually, both games looked similar to me. But yeah, it was the netcode that took so long.

CRACK BABY ALERT

BTW, Kohler, I was playing DOAU online against some Japanese people and they were all talking about how you're an asshole for inadvertently putting clothes on the hump pillow :lol

 

[DCharlie]

"Besides the jaggies, the difference in the character models is almost unnoticeable with DOA2U and Hardcore for PS2. The backgrounds look sharper and the resolution is higher...otherwise visually, both games looked similar to me. "

coffee just came out of my nose, and i'm not even drinking coffee....

"What he said. The netcode is perfect, apparently that takes time."

sure is

 

[BenT]

coffee just came out of my nose, and i'm not even drinking coffee....

ITS A MIRACLE!

 

[Jonnyram]

You know I'm not thrilled to look for DOA screens at my desk, but here:

vs

Difference in character models is unnoticeable!? Only because you haven't played the Xbox game!

 

[AlphaSnake]

You know I'm not thrilled to look for DOA screens at my desk, but here:

vs

Difference in character models is unnoticeable!? Only because you haven't played the Xbox game!

I actually did. Just today, in fact. And please, tell me what are the differences? This should be good...

 

[Lyte Edge]

I actually did. Just today, in fact. And please, tell me what are the differences? This should be good...

Do you not see it from the pics posted above? I mean it should be obvious anyway, but still...

 

[Jonnyram]

I actually did. Just today, in fact. And please, tell me what are the differences? This should be good...

Higher number of polys. Is that hard for you to see or just hard for you to admit?

 

[Sho Nuff]

I actually did. Just today, in fact. And please, tell me what are the differences? This should be good...

Umm I think the Xbox one has better sound?

 

[DIrtyWeasel]

At first, I also felt that DOA2U didn't look that much better... but after loading the game up the original for DC, I realized it changed more than I thought.

 

[Lazy8s]

The Dead or Alive 2 games on the Dreamcast are like the PS2 versions with the jaggies and resolution cleaned up, and Dead or Alive Ultimate is still distinguishable from it.

One upgrade all of Team Ninja's games need in the visual department is mipmapping, though. Other than that, spectacular.

 

[DCharlie]

wow - i can't tell the difference....

anyways back to the concert, for my next song, i'm going to sing "Isn't she Lovely"

 

[cvxfreak]

The difference looked pretty obvious to me.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

I'm not really a graphics-whore, but I think the upgrade in visuals is pretty damned obvious. Then, there are the new stages, tweaked gameplay, Hitomi, and general all-around superior-playing gameplay of DOA2. Oh, and that cool effect of Tengu's that changes the seasons of his stage in real-time... :O

 

[Miburou]

DOA2U looks fuckin' unbelievable. Too bad they're still sticking with the mannequin like character models.

 

[Jonnyram]

Oh, and that cool effect of Tengu's that changes the seasons of his stage in real-time... :O

That is awesome! Can you pull that off as a move when you unlock him as a playable character? Or does it only work on that stage anyway?

 

[MightyHedgehog]

I don't know. I only play Lei-Fang...

 

[Unison]

The DOAU boss battle feels like a videogame from the future or something... The way he keeps changing seasons, seamlessly, while you continue to fight is an effect that I wouldn't expect to see until next gen.

This game and Outrun 2 show off the one area where Xbox stomps all over PS2 ... The amount of textures it can queue up into RAM in insane.

 

[suikodan]

You want a rip-off? Buy Snk Vs Capcom at full price!

At least in DOAU, you get a revamp of a good game with really good net code.

 

[Miburou]

That effect does make the game slow down a lot, so it's not really practical even if you could pull it off when playing as Tengu.

 

[hirokazu]

some people really seem to be missing their sarcasm detectors today...

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Really? I've not noticed any real slowdown when it happens...

 

[Miburou]

Really? I've not noticed any real slowdown when it happens...

I sometimes mistake it for his whirlwind attack, and come charging at him, and the whole game would slow down, but I guess if you're not moving, it's not that bad,

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

The models aren't ENORMOUSLY better (although they are a signifigant jump), but the biggest improvement in them is the textures. The improved textures add much much more detail. The lighting is also signifigantly stronger. These both make the models seem much more detailed.

 

[Azih]

Besides the jaggies, the difference in the character models is almost unnoticeable with DOA2U and Hardcore for PS2. The backgrounds look sharper and the resolution is higher...otherwise visually, both games looked similar to me. But yeah, it was the netcode that took so long.

Where's that bouncer review?

 

[Unison]

I like how you can throw characters into the bell in the clock tower stage.

The backgrounds in DOAU are just insane. The latest MK looks totally anemic by comparison. I hope they become the standard for fighting games from now on.

 

[Shouta]

morbidaza has it. It's a jump in visuals, but not large enough that it's like "omg, It'z TEH REVULoootion!"

That said, it's definitely not worth the price after playing my friend's copy. It has no siginificant play changes. And no, the counter system isn't revamped enough to be a justified change in gameplay ;p. The last boss battle against Tengu has some nice effects. Too bad it's an easy fight.

 

[dark10x]

The Dead or Alive 2 games on the Dreamcast are like the PS2 versions with the jaggies and resolution cleaned up, and Dead or Alive Ultimate is still distinguishable from it.

One upgrade all of Team Ninja's games need in the visual department is mipmapping, though. Other than that, spectacular.

While the PS2 game used field rendering, I hope you realize that a LOT of special effects were added to the PS2 game (as well as larger, more geometrically complex arenas).

 

[Sho Nuff]

BTW, fun fact: both discs in the set are identical, save a "doa2.txt" file on the DOA 2 disc, which locks out the DOA1 executable.

You can play DOA1 Online from the DOA2 disc and vice-versa (essentially granting you TWO copies of the online portion of the game).

Otherwise it's a waste of plastic

 

[Kai Dracon]

I'm honestly surprised to see Saturnman ripping on the value of DoA2U. Dunno why, and no offense to him, it just seems odd.

Right now, I'm playing DoA2U more than most anything else. The comp online is getting better as more people get the game, and having real comp is making me go back and deeply learn characters I never touched before.

Personally, while I do think the DoA 1 port is a major letdown considering Team Ninja's devotion to tweaking the quality of DoA2 here, I'm totally loving DoA2U. In DoA, stages influence gameplay - they're not just visual fluff. All the new stages, the redesigned original stages, their interactivity, layout, adds a lot to the game IMHO. Further, for many people (myself included) DoA2HC remains the better version of DoA (overall) for serious play and DoA2U is -not- just plain DoA2HC. There -are- elements of the DoA3 system in it, plus the improved counter system.

Aside from the character models looking very noticably better, the huge number of costumes included is also very, very nice considering the focus on online competative play. It's always nice to allow players to distinguish themselves from the pack with the character they choose, so everybody isn't playing the same character with the same 2 or 3 costumes.

Perhaps this release should be looked at as service for moderately serious to hardcore players (and that means people who really play DoA for more than teh boobies) and people who want the experience of playing a quality fighting game online against real comp. And DoA2U truly excells at this, and I wouldn't be shy to call it a major step forward in the fighting genre for how well it implements the Xbox Live play.

Is it worth $50 just for DoA2U? Overall, I would actually say yes, it is - but not quite for everyone. And a caveat there is that this is only within the current game pricing structure. I think games in general are $20 overpriced at typical full retail (Not counting "Greatest Hits" releases, obviously.)

Edit: I should have noted that yes, the only actual letdown with DoA2U is the exclusion of Brad, Christie, and Hayato version of Ein. If they were going to throw in Hitomi, they should have put the others in for completeness sake. This is really too bad, but I suppose DLC for other characters isn't totally out of the question.

 

[Eggo]

Not that I was expecting otherwise, but after playing it, I have no idea what took so long to get this game out.

It looks like DOA3, with perhaps subtlely better character models and stronger lighting, but aside from that, it's the same game... minus some characters (you can unlock some though). The backgrounds are familiar, but revamped somewhat with fancier effects. In fact, the backgrounds are the high point, in a superficial way.

So far, all I've only talked about is the DOA2 CD. The other CD.... oh my, it's the fricking Saturn port of DOA1, a bit cleaner perhaps, but otherwise the very same. What's the point? No enhancement? I would perhaps have been more forgiving if that had been the arcade original. Why even bother with 2 CD's? This is as bad as some of the Sega arcade ports on PC (which often were Saturn ports... of arcade games).

Did you just say DOA:U plays like DOA3? If so, you're crazy. The air throws and countering system make it play completely different. This game feels nothing like DOA3.

 

[MAZYORA]

While the PS2 game used field rendering, I hope you realize that a LOT of special effects were added to the PS2 game (as well as larger, more geometrically complex arenas).

Thanks for editing my post!

 

[Unison]

There is no way on earth the PS2 could handle DOAU w/o serious texture comprimises. This is probably the most impressive texture work on a console game to date.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemories,
Light the corners of my mind.
Misty water-colored memories,
Of the way we were...


Ah, this thread takes me back... and that's definitely not a good thing.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

I got the game yesterday.

I turned it on, went to 'Watch Mode', lit up a J...

Realized today that I never even played the game. Straight eye candy.

:lol

 

[1st Born]

I think DOU looks slightly better than DOA3, but what really sets it apart is the real-time movement of animals and what-not in the backgrounds. The Chicago stage with the moving L-Train is bannanas.

 

[Saturnman]

I'm honestly surprised to see Saturnman ripping on the value of DoA2U. Dunno why, and no offense to him, it just seems odd.

Right now, I'm playing DoA2U more than most anything else. The comp online is getting better as more people get the game, and having real comp is making me go back and deeply learn characters I never touched before.

Personally, while I do think the DoA 1 port is a major letdown considering Team Ninja's devotion to tweaking the quality of DoA2 here, I'm totally loving DoA2U. In DoA, stages influence gameplay - they're not just visual fluff. All the new stages, the redesigned original stages, their interactivity, layout, adds a lot to the game IMHO. Further, for many people (myself included) DoA2HC remains the better version of DoA (overall) for serious play and DoA2U is -not- just plain DoA2HC. There -are- elements of the DoA3 system in it, plus the improved counter system.

Aside from the character models looking very noticably better, the huge number of costumes included is also very, very nice considering the focus on online competative play. It's always nice to allow players to distinguish themselves from the pack with the character they choose, so everybody isn't playing the same character with the same 2 or 3 costumes.

Perhaps this release should be looked at as service for moderately serious to hardcore players (and that means people who really play DoA for more than teh boobies) and people who want the experience of playing a quality fighting game online against real comp. And DoA2U truly excells at this, and I wouldn't be shy to call it a major step forward in the fighting genre for how well it implements the Xbox Live play.

Is it worth $50 just for DoA2U? Overall, I would actually say yes, it is - but not quite for everyone. And a caveat there is that this is only within the current game pricing structure. I think games in general are $20 overpriced at typical full retail (Not counting "Greatest Hits" releases, obviously.)

Edit: I should have noted that yes, the only actual letdown with DoA2U is the exclusion of Brad, Christie, and Hayato version of Ein. If they were going to throw in Hitomi, they should have put the others in for completeness sake. This is really too bad, but I suppose DLC for other characters isn't totally out of the question.

I don't hate the DOA franchise, I find it entertaining in a mindless, button-smashing kind of way.

But after Tecmo made the massive improvement from DOA1 to DOA2, it seems they dropped the ball. DOA3 was a great showpiece but not really all that different fundamentally from part 2. I was lenient, considering it was a launch game. Here comes DOAU and again, it's just more of the same and I don't quite get why they had to remix DOA2.

To me, take out the online mode and DOA3 is a better value with more characters and a story mode with new stuff, all for a third of the price of DOAU.

 

[Jonnyram]

BTW, fun fact: both discs in the set are identical, save a "doa2.txt" file on the DOA 2 disc, which locks out the DOA1 executable.

That's not "fun" to me - it pisses me off because they've obviously packaged it as two discs so they can charge more for it.