Besides the addition of kinkeriffic schoolgirl costumes for some of the female fighters, a new four-player team battle, sparring mode and versus option have been tossed in to the mix. An options menu allows players to fine-tune the difficulty of the opposition. In the original Dead or Alive for the Sony PlayStation, gamers had leveled charges that the AI was too stiff even on the easy settings. Computer AI remains sharp in all modes, with the enemy fighters able to block and dodge as well as counter poorly planned attacks. The already tangible thrill of dispatching a foe in Dead or Alive 2 is greatly heightened when it's a fellow human getting thusly smited.
Environments are, of course, totally interactive.
It's entirely possible to smash an enemy through a stained glass window and the resultant falling scenes are sufficiently breathtaking. Controls remain largely unchanged from previous versions. Players have access to a four-button system that allows for kicks, punches, throws, counters and blocks. Attacks can be strung together to create combinations, and countermoves provide the opportunity to use a foe's punch or kick against him. The wrestler Tina can corner her foe near a wall, perform a neat sidestep, grab him from behind, slam his fool head into the wall and, finally, smash him against the floor.