Platform

Xbox

These impressions are taken from the recent Osaka Game Show 2002 version.

Dead or Alive, the fighting game is obsolete. Long live the king -- DOAX! Surprised? You might be, because this is a joyous blast of a game.

Let me start by saying that I find the DOA fighting games to be rather average. Hit, counter, hit, counter, boob jiggle, counter, panty flash, hit... ad infinitum.

But DOAX is a surgical reinvention of the series. It's the yin to the fighting game's yang. From the moment the title screen boots up, with a rotating lush tropical island and the bouncy strains of 'How Crazy Are You?' -- you're entering a place of peaceful, utopian gaming. Relax, the game says. Slow down. There's no hardship in this place. Where as the DOA fighting games are all about fighting and quick reactions, DOAX has been designed from start to finish as a chilled out, happy game.

Let's deal with the hoohaa surround the game's theme first. Yes, this is largely the girls. There are lots of gratuitous, camera-controllable shots of bikini clad manga babes stretching suggestively in various environments. If you're looking for that, you'll find plenty of it.

But let's rewind a bit. At the title screen, you're given the option to choose certain options (English/JP will be in all versions). The game is widescreen. You can add custom soundtracks. You can choose your age... though the effect of this hasn't been revealed.

You start off by choosing a girl. I chose Hitomi. The game then pans to Hitomi lying by the pool, doing a few stretches on a sun bed (rather suggestive poses, naturally). Interestingly enough, the game is sort of turn based. You have three 'plays' per day, and two weeks in total to play your course through the holiday island. One 'play' might be a game of volleyball. Another play might be buying items at the two stores (Sportswear/bikinis, and Accessories) and presenting them as gifts to other girls on the island. Another might be playing the pool hopping mini-game (an analogue showcase that's a total blast!). This adds a certain amount of strategy as you have a limited plays/days to gain the maximum number of costumes, or friends/play partners, or money... or whatever your chosen goal.

Remember, there's also no way to 'win' in DOAX. You just have two weeks on this island to develop friendships, win over enemies, buy stuff, swim a bit, get a tan, and play some volleyball. No two games should be played the same, and volleyball is maybe 30% of the game. Infact, the experience is more RPG like than anything else.

After selecting my character, I first chose to go to the shop, and picked out a lime green bikini for Hitomi, along with a red one -- which I had it wrapped as a present for Kasumi. If you gain the friendship of other girls on the island, they're more likely to be your volleyball partner. Certain girls don't like each other, so more presents are necessary. Of course, the touchiest girls also tend to be the best volleyball players, so investing in befriending them helps you win more games. Which in turn lets give better gifts, and look great.

During your 'night' time turn, you can chance the casino with a number of different games. Blackjack, roulette, the usual suspects. The other girls will giggle and drink and play with you, and their gambling style (risk takers/timid etc) will vary according to their island personality. Alternatively, you can retire to your hotel room, from which a complimentary TV allows you to watch unlocked trailers (Ninja Gaiden etc) and DOAX game CG... amongst other things.

The heart of the game is, nonetheless, the volleyball game. I'm pleased to report that it plays like butter. One button 'sets up' a play, in other words, dives and/or pushes up the ball high for your partner to smash (second attack button). Control is analogue, and the nuances are excellently realized -- little button feathers will fake smash and tip the ball slightly over, and a well timed button snap at precisely the right height has you smashing the ball into an opposing girl's face, sending her literally flying back into the sand. Very satisfying. The control is simple enough, yet deceptively deep. Best of all, there's a rhythm and flow to the volleyball that feels very satisfying, responsive and stylish. Couple this with the emotional element of choosing/buying different play partner, and you have a compelling, oddly strategic volleyball game.

You also have to pay attention to the feelings of your game partner, as how well you play affects their mood after the game. Play a few bad matches? Don't be surprised if they split from your partnership. The little conversations that appear between the girls, as you try to temp them into a partnership, are mini-masterpieces of cheesy, double-entendre laden dialogue.

Special mention should really go to the soundtrack, which is pure bouncy pop-schlock and brilliantly sets the tone. Tecmo has licensed a hugely catchy selection of tunes, from such masters of cheesy pop including B*witched ('Jesse Hold On'), Baha Men, Christina Aguilera ('Come on Over'), and even the Spice Girls. There are also a few Beach classics in there from Bob Marley and The Beach Boys. You might cringe at the music choices, but it works incredible well in the general camp environment of the game. Of course, you can also substitute the soundtrack for your own choice.

In short, DOAX is a worryingly compelling experience. Who else but Itagaki could get away with a sports-dating-hentai-turn-based-RPG? Top stuff.

-Tim Riddle
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