Reviews// Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360)

Gameplay, like the character models, is a mixed bag. The tried and true DoA controls have remained with only some minor tweaks. Most notably of these is the shortened time allotted for reversals. Many of the more "hardcore" fighting fans complained that the reversals made it too cheap and easy in previous versions and only helped to promote the "button masher" image that fighting games are so frequently saddled with.

Not one to rest on his "I make better games than Tekken!" (Not a direct quote) laurels, Itagaki and team not only tightened the window of opportunity but also reverted back to the old DoA 2 method for reversing. For those unaware there are now 4 separate reversal methods depending on the height and type of attack being thrown at you. DoA 3 only had three, and it was therefore much easier to pull them off consistently.

Other small changes include edited moves lists for some of your old favorites, and special background interactions wherein your character, not content to just kick their foe down a cliff, may instead decide to ride them like a snow board down a flight of stairs. While the move editing has been done to try and balance out the roster a bit (i.e. give poor Bass a fighting chance) some long time fans may not appreciate having their character of choice mucked about with. The background interactions don’t really do much to change the gameplay but they do add another, much appreciated, level of depth to the games context-sensitive attacks.

By far the biggest highlight of the game is the newly revamped (see ".5" all the way) on-line system. While the fighting component itself doesn't really differ greatly from what was on offer in DoA 4, the pre-game lobby is far and away one of the most imaginatively enjoyable wastes of time SPOnG has ever experienced. Imagine the pre-game setup for any other on-line game, now replace it with, oh lets say, a jungle! Now instead of a list of names we will have some ninjas, a couple of alligators, perhaps a robot or two, and for those that are 'virtually' affluent a human being. Dress them in fun accessories, decorate your room of choice with items from "Zack's Store" and whatever size TV your virtual bank account allows and then sit back and marvel at the deep inanity of it all.

The TV, as you may have guessed, is used for viewing the current fight while chatting it up with your fellow penguins and such. This seems like a commendable idea, however most of my experience has been in rooms of five or fewer people (they can hold up to 24), in which everyone is queuing up for their chance to fight. When waiting to fight, however, you are no longer in the lobby zone but rather watching the current match full screen, thereby negating the usefulness of the meeting spaces. Perhaps over time as more people finally get those 360s they pre ordered last year, this feature will become more worthwhile, eventually evolving into the zany virtual arcades they are intended to represent. At the moment however they only serve as a brief starting point before the game itself gets going.

As for the actual on-line content - the game itself runs surprisingly smoothly. Even in tag team mode there is generally very little lag, and when there is the game actually slows down a bit to match the network speed. This way, rather than skipping frames and becoming unplayable, the game just executes more slowly, thus preserving playability. While this is certainly not ideal (clearly, no lag at all would be ideal) it is an excellent solution for some of the highest quality online fighting SPOnG has ever seen. We suppose we are just gonna have to wait around until everyone gets fiber-optic connections installed, for the promised land of a lag-free future.

SPOnG score: C+

So this isn’t the next revolution in fighting, but rather a decent, if at times perplexing, evolution. There are a good number of costumes and characters to unlock, including the much talked about Halo Spartan, and a fun well-rounded on-line component, which adds a good bit of replay value to the game. And the fighting has been fine-tuned even further, allowing the more "1337" gamers out there to better enjoy themselves, while still not ostracizing the more casual button-jammers. For DoA fans this is a must have, for the rest of you, well, it’s up-to-now the best fighting game on 360 by a long shot.