The Armchair Empire - Playstation 2 (PS2) Reviews: DOA2: Hardcore


<MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thearmchairem-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com">	Platform Playstation 2 Genre Fighting Publisher Tecmo Developer Tecmo ESRB T (Teen) Released Q4 2000

- Fast-paced fighting - Bouncing flesh everywhere - Extremely detailed graphics

- "Very hard" setting isn’t that hard - Your thumbs will be sore

Review: Dead or Alive 2 (Dreamcast) Review: Dead or Alive 3 (XBox) Review: Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball (XBox)
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DOA2: Hardcore

Score: 9/10

Although not as hyped as Namco’s Tekken Tag Tournament, DOA2: Hardcore is a fighting game that shouldn’t be overlooked. This version of DOA2 is jam packed with more levels, two more characters, more moves, more costumes, and more fighting modes.

The visuals in the game are absolutely stunning – fully anti-aliased and ready to rock. The attention to detail on the characters is excellent. Tecmo’s also broken away from many traditional fighting games by bringing in a slew of super model-like characters. A typical fight will bring a lot of silicone bouncing your way, but, hey, it’s better than looking at Ryu’s ugly mug over and over again. The characters definitely are a nice change, and are a lot of fun to watch. (One day I’m hoping a girl like Kasumi will meet me in a dark ally – she can beat on me as long as she wants.) Beautifully sculpted levels are not just something in the background, but are very interactive. For instance, in the cathedral you can kick your opponent out the window onto the street below and continue fighting there. As far as graphics go this game does the PS2 proud.

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Music in DOA2: Hardcore is of the upbeat "techno" variety. Which really helps get you zoned into the fast-paced game play. The sound effects are nothing special, no major breakthrough in gaming technology, just the typical sounds that have plagued the fighting genre since Street Fighter II. At the beginning and end of each match you can listen to your character speak. On DOA2 for Dreamcast the dialogue was all in Japanese

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with English subtitles. Tecmo’s done away with that, giving us English speech and the option of subtitles. The dubbing is well done and is really a minor part of the game, but I tended to appreciate the Japanese with English subtitles of the Dreamcast. It put me into the Kung-Fu mood.

The controls for DOA2: Hardcore are simple: one punch button, one kick, one throw and a free button. You block by holding back away from your opponent, which isn’t a new concept. The combos are all punch/kick combinations, which are thoughtfully listed for each character in the game’s manual.

The different modes of play in Hardcore are what will keep you coming back for more. It boasts a story mode, which attempts to tell a story about your character throughout your battles. There’s also survivor mode where your opponents come one after the other, non-stop, until you are defeated. Tag team, (similar to Tekken Tag Tournament), and team battle where you can select the number of people in a team vs. match. There is also the option of recording and saving your battles to view at a later time.

DOA2: Hardcore is a must buy for an action junky with a PS2 – the action is definitely fast and furious. The only small complaint I really have is that Tecmo could have made the higher difficulty settings more challenging.

- Slipperyone

(March 15, 2001)