Dead or Alive 2
Encyclopedia
Dead or Alive 2 (デッドオアアライブ2 Deddo oa Araibu 2) is a fighting game
in the Dead or Alive series. It debuted in arcades in October 1999
and was released on February 29, 2000 for the Dreamcast.
The graphics
and gameplay were enhanced and based on a better game engine
, which allowed the characters and stages
to appear less angular and more detailed. The story involved a narrative continuation of the first game. A popular and commonly discussed feature, one credited to Itagaki
, was the level of graphical detail Tecmo put into the animated breast
s of the female characters, as Tecmo went so far as to create a physics engine
dedicated entirely to the animation of the female characters' breasts.
of DOA2, and all subsequent Dead or Alive games, borrows heavily from the Virtua Fighter series, but makes some key changes that drastically changes the way Dead or Alive is played in comparison to Virtua Fighter.
In DOA2, the basis of the entire fighting system is the circular relationship between three types of moves: holds, throws, and blows.
The other defining feature of DOA2, aside from holds/throws/blows, is its stun system. In DOA2 many attacks upon hitting will inflict a stun on the opponent. While stunned, the opponent cannot attack, and cannot guard, but they can hold. If the attacker lands a non-knockdown, non-launching attack while the opponent is stunned, the opponent will be re-stunned in a new way, depending on what attack was landed.
A major difference between DOA2 and other fighters is in the safety and non-punishability of attacks, both upon hitting and upon being blocked. Most blows in DOA2 can be punished on hit and block by each character's faster throws, making blow-based offense very risky.
In DOA2, sometimes battles will occur on either water or ice. When a character is on such a surface, all non-knockdown, non-launching attacks will induce a stun on any successful hit. Walls and falls in the middle of stages are everywhere in DOA2. Many stages are also multi-tiered. To get to other areas of the stage, one character must be knocked off a ledge and fall into the next area. These falls deal usually fairly high damage, but cannot knock the opponent out.
In addition to the normal rules of juggling, each character also fits into a specific weight category, which affects how the character responds to being launched and being juggled.
The arcade version of DOA2, doesn't include Bayman and Tengu. But in Story Mode of the arcade version has only few lives, but the home versions has only one life.
in its opening sequence. Also used as a background track was Deadly Silence Beach. Both tracks can be found on the self-titled mini-album Bomb Factory
and on the Dead or Alive 2 Soundtrack.
on each market as they worked towards their vision of the ultimate fighting game. On October 25, 2000, Tecmo released a last major update called DOA2: Hardcore for the PlayStation 2 which was based on the Japanese and second update of DOA2 for Dreamcast, this "Limited Edition" was featuring new playable characters, new stages, extra costumes and introduced the "Gallery" option.
The Hardcore release was finally the complete game Itagaki had envisioned at the time, featuring many changes compared to its predecessor:
The new release extended the success of DOA2 in North America
and Western Europe
, and Dead or Alive became Tecmo's flagship series.
Tecmo also followed up on the release of DOA2: Hardcore in the USA and Europe with the release of DOA2: Hard*Core in Japan. This last version saw some minor updates, including new cut scenes, a few new costumes, and a new turbo speed option.
As a result, eleven different versions of DOA2 were released, the first two were for the arcade market and the others were home versions. The Dreamcast version has been updated two times, first for the European market with new stages, costumes and cut scenes, and the second time was for the Japanese market with a "Limited Edition" featuring two new playable characters, two new stages, stage multipart extensions, new costumes, new cut scenes and the "Gallery" option was introduced. This edition was later updated with eight new stages, some new costumes and extra Gallery artworks and released as "Hardcore" edition on the PlayStation 2. The first PlayStation 2 versions for America, Europe and Japan were updates of the Dreamcast editions, with a few new cut scenes, costumes and stages added on each localization. Comparing the first and the last home versions of DOA2, namely the Dreamcast American edition and the Japanese Hardcore edition, would show a lot of improvements including an enhanced gameplay and a doubled number of stages and costumes. Unfortunately, even with all the changes, Itagaki was still not happy with Hardcore. He is quoted as saying in the DOA 3 booster disc video, "They wanted a launch title in 3 months. I needed 4."
with a greatly improved graphics engine. As it was created after the debut of DOA3, it takes elements and mechanics from both its original iteration and successor. The action of 3D-axis movement is as free-formatted as DOA3, and Hitomi, as well as Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo are now playable characters (albeit outside story mode), but other elements have been kept intact from DOA2. The biggest set of changes instituted in Dead or Alive Ultimate are online play over Xbox Live and the inclusion of slopes, which are a type of environmental hazard.
.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
in the Dead or Alive series. It debuted in arcades in October 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
and was released on February 29, 2000 for the Dreamcast.
The graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and gameplay were enhanced and based on a better game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which allowed the characters and stages
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
to appear less angular and more detailed. The story involved a narrative continuation of the first game. A popular and commonly discussed feature, one credited to Itagaki
Tomonobu Itagaki
is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting game and beach sport simulation series and also revived the Ninja Gaiden franchise in 2004...
, was the level of graphical detail Tecmo put into the animated breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s of the female characters, as Tecmo went so far as to create a physics engine
Physics engine
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics , soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer graphics, video games and film. Their main uses are in video games , in which case the...
dedicated entirely to the animation of the female characters' breasts.
Story
A great leader was killed at the end of the 20th century. His name was Fame Douglas, and he was renowned as the sponsor of the legendary Dead or Alive World Combat Championship. Since his death, and in the absence of his charisma and leadership, the world has become chaotic. Yet something appears to be transpiring. Amid this chaos, it is announced that the Dead or Alive Championship 2 will be held. However, Douglas's passing has taken with it the purpose and significance of the tournament. Even worse, the promoter of Dead or Alive Championship 2, who is fond of conflicts and jealous of the string, is responsible for Douglas's death. The new promoter is more than a corrupt mastermind, but a man of pure evil. His involvement in the tournament has brought a sense of terror to the world, resulting in the infamous Tengu disaster that occurred at the end of the 20th century. The climax of the disaster is about to begin with a roaring battle.Character roster
- AyaneAyane (Dead or Alive)is a player character in the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden fighting game series by Team NINJA and Tecmo Koei. Ayane has also a complex relationship with Kasumi, the leading heroine of the Dead or Alive series, ever since they grew up together...
- Bass Armstrong
- Bayman (unlockable, cannot be used in Story mode and the arcade version)
- Ein
- Gen Fu
- Tengu (boss character, unlockable, cannot be used in Story mode and the arcade version)
- Helena
- Jann Lee
- Kasumi
- Lei Fang
- Leon
- Ryu HayabusaRyu Hayabusais the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden video game series as well as a player character in the Dead or Alive series, both published by Tecmo. According to the game canon, Ryu Hayabusa is a ninja and the leader of the that has spiritual, physical and magical ties to ancient dragons...
- Tina Armstrong
- Zack
- Hitomi(unlockable in Dead or Alive Ultimate, cannot be used in Story mode)
Gameplay
The gameplayGameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
of DOA2, and all subsequent Dead or Alive games, borrows heavily from the Virtua Fighter series, but makes some key changes that drastically changes the way Dead or Alive is played in comparison to Virtua Fighter.
In DOA2, the basis of the entire fighting system is the circular relationship between three types of moves: holds, throws, and blows.
The other defining feature of DOA2, aside from holds/throws/blows, is its stun system. In DOA2 many attacks upon hitting will inflict a stun on the opponent. While stunned, the opponent cannot attack, and cannot guard, but they can hold. If the attacker lands a non-knockdown, non-launching attack while the opponent is stunned, the opponent will be re-stunned in a new way, depending on what attack was landed.
A major difference between DOA2 and other fighters is in the safety and non-punishability of attacks, both upon hitting and upon being blocked. Most blows in DOA2 can be punished on hit and block by each character's faster throws, making blow-based offense very risky.
In DOA2, sometimes battles will occur on either water or ice. When a character is on such a surface, all non-knockdown, non-launching attacks will induce a stun on any successful hit. Walls and falls in the middle of stages are everywhere in DOA2. Many stages are also multi-tiered. To get to other areas of the stage, one character must be knocked off a ledge and fall into the next area. These falls deal usually fairly high damage, but cannot knock the opponent out.
In addition to the normal rules of juggling, each character also fits into a specific weight category, which affects how the character responds to being launched and being juggled.
The arcade version of DOA2, doesn't include Bayman and Tengu. But in Story Mode of the arcade version has only few lives, but the home versions has only one life.
Music
Dead or Alive 2 made popular the song Exciter by Bomb FactoryBomb Factory (band)
Bomb Factory is a musical group from Tokyo, Japan with styles influenced by 70's and 80's hardcore punk, hard rock, and heavy metal music. Although their mother tongue is Japanese, almost all the music they have produced since 1997 has English song titles and lyrics.-History:Brothers Jun-ya and...
in its opening sequence. Also used as a background track was Deadly Silence Beach. Both tracks can be found on the self-titled mini-album Bomb Factory
Bomb Factory (album)
Bomb Factory is the self-titled second EP by punk rock band Bomb Factory. It was released in November 1999 on Monstar Records/Hell Hornet Records, and contains 7 songs...
and on the Dead or Alive 2 Soundtrack.
| Song title | Where it is heard |
|---|---|
| Exciter | Opening sequence |
| D.O.A. | Menu |
| B-Boy no "B" ~evolved from ++~ | Zack's Theme |
| The Shooted | Hayabusa's Theme |
| Grand Style | Lei-Fang's Theme |
| Natural High | Jann Lee's Theme |
| Break the Age | Gen-Fu's Theme |
| You Are Under My Control | Tina Armstrong's Theme |
| YES or YES | Bass Armstrong's Theme |
| Blazed Up Melpomene | Helena's Theme |
| Ultimate Weapon | Leon's Theme |
| Tehu Tehu | Ayane's Theme |
| Vigaku | Ein's Theme |
| Hitohira ~Reminiscent of Ketsui no Toki~ | Kasumi's Theme |
| Jintsuriki | Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo's Theme |
| What's My Name? | Achieving a high score in Survival Mode or Time Attack Mode |
| Excelsior | Sparring Mode |
| Last Jam | Theme played in the credits when successfully completing Time Attack Mode |
| You Make Me Feel So Good! | Successfully completing Tag Team Mode |
| Father's Blues | Played in some of Bass's and Tina's cutscenes in Story Mode |
| Memoir | Played in one of Helena's cutscenes in Story Mode |
| Tengu-mai | Played in one of Ein's cutscenes in Story Mode featuring Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo |
| Perfume of Forest | Played in the end cutscene of Story Mode with Helena, Lei-Fang, and Kasumi |
| Achoism | Played in the end cutscene of Story Mode with Jann Lee |
| Rhyme Star | Played in the end cutscene of Story Mode with Zack |
| Agitated by Emotion | Played in Part of the end cutscene of Story Mode with Tina |
| Glorious Victory | Theme played in the credits when successfully completing Story Mode |
| Deadly Silence Beach | Theme played in the CG Gallery (Hardcore Version) |
| Transcendence | ??? |
| Type-XXX | ??? |
| Act of Universe | An opening sequence showing Gen-Fu, Helena, and Lei-Fang performing fighting moves |
Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore
Itagaki and Team Ninja were still dissatisfied with the release versions of DOA2, and continued enhancing it on both Dreamcast and PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
on each market as they worked towards their vision of the ultimate fighting game. On October 25, 2000, Tecmo released a last major update called DOA2: Hardcore for the PlayStation 2 which was based on the Japanese and second update of DOA2 for Dreamcast, this "Limited Edition" was featuring new playable characters, new stages, extra costumes and introduced the "Gallery" option.
The Hardcore release was finally the complete game Itagaki had envisioned at the time, featuring many changes compared to its predecessor:
- Characters, pictures and moves were altered to appear more realistic, lessening the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
look. - Some fighting animations were elaborated upon and some were cut.
- New stages were added (8 more than the Dreamcast update)
- More character outfits were added.
- Survival mode now only took place in the "Danger Zone" arena.
- Overall gameplay speed was increased. The entire game, including cut scenes, now runs at a full 60 frames-per-second (In the Dreamcast version, the game ran at 60 frame/s while the cut scenes ran at 30).
- A special "Items Collection" feature and menu section was added to appeal to video game collectorVideo game collectingVideo game collecting is the hobby of collecting video games and related memorabilia. Collectors may focus on a particular area of interest, such as retro consoles like the Atari 2600 and NES. There may also be some overlap with animation, anime, manga, comic books, or other media...
s. New artworks were added compared to the first update. - A CGCG artworkCG is a term most commonly known in the West for its use in Japanese webpages to denote digital artwork. In traditional Japanese, it is an abbreviation of the Japanese gairaigo , used to refer to any form of digital artwork, from digitally shaded dōjinshi to legitimate cinematic art...
Gallery section, featuring renders of the female characters, was added. - The player history files were enhanced and now included statistics on how often the player used each character and tag battle pairing.
- Several special moves were added, but left undocumented.
- English voiceovers were added in the U.S. and European PlayStation 2 versions, in addition to the original Japanese voiceovers.
The new release extended the success of DOA2 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, and Dead or Alive became Tecmo's flagship series.
Tecmo also followed up on the release of DOA2: Hardcore in the USA and Europe with the release of DOA2: Hard*Core in Japan. This last version saw some minor updates, including new cut scenes, a few new costumes, and a new turbo speed option.
As a result, eleven different versions of DOA2 were released, the first two were for the arcade market and the others were home versions. The Dreamcast version has been updated two times, first for the European market with new stages, costumes and cut scenes, and the second time was for the Japanese market with a "Limited Edition" featuring two new playable characters, two new stages, stage multipart extensions, new costumes, new cut scenes and the "Gallery" option was introduced. This edition was later updated with eight new stages, some new costumes and extra Gallery artworks and released as "Hardcore" edition on the PlayStation 2. The first PlayStation 2 versions for America, Europe and Japan were updates of the Dreamcast editions, with a few new cut scenes, costumes and stages added on each localization. Comparing the first and the last home versions of DOA2, namely the Dreamcast American edition and the Japanese Hardcore edition, would show a lot of improvements including an enhanced gameplay and a doubled number of stages and costumes. Unfortunately, even with all the changes, Itagaki was still not happy with Hardcore. He is quoted as saying in the DOA 3 booster disc video, "They wanted a launch title in 3 months. I needed 4."
Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
Dead or Alive Ultimate 2 is a remake of DOA2 for XboxXbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
with a greatly improved graphics engine. As it was created after the debut of DOA3, it takes elements and mechanics from both its original iteration and successor. The action of 3D-axis movement is as free-formatted as DOA3, and Hitomi, as well as Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo are now playable characters (albeit outside story mode), but other elements have been kept intact from DOA2. The biggest set of changes instituted in Dead or Alive Ultimate are online play over Xbox Live and the inclusion of slopes, which are a type of environmental hazard.
Reception
In 2010, the game was included in the list of "Top 25 Fighting Games of All Time" by UGOUGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
.