The title Dead or Alive Online is now redundant as Tecmo rename their online compilation fighter as Dead or Alive Ultimate. What's in a name, you ask?
Tecmo's Marketing Manager, Tony Tarpey, explains: "We feel that Dead or Alive Online has evolved into something bigger than what it started out as... [and] only signifies a portion of this game while the new name, Dead or Alive Ultimate, describes more accurately what fans will experience when they buy this game."
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Creator of the chop-socky, jiggly-boobed babe fighter Tomonobu Itgaki sees it as a completist's dream. "The Saturn version of Dead or Alive was sold only in Japan so this will be the first time it will be released in North America [same goes for UK, obviously] while DOA2 has been completely rebuilt using the latest graphics engine from Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, ultimately making DOA2 better than our own DOA3. With the new costumes and the expansion of fighting arenas, it's reborn as a brand new game."
Not a bad sales pitch, we'd agree, and if the game costs no more than a normal title, we see the Saturn port of the original as a bonus to buying a DOA3 beater. Hopefully, this time they'll really pack the re-vamped DOA2 with tons of costumes, as they came up short in that department first time out. Sounds a bit sad but we just love those lady's costumes.
In related news, Microsoft are hoping Kasumi and friends can help buck the trend of the Japanese public's rather lack-lustre view of the green machine. It'll now come in a DOA Ultimate bundle sporting a Kasumi-blue semi-transparent look.
DOA Ultimate is scheduled to appear on Xbox in the States in spring. A UK date has not been comfirmed
