Price: £39.99

Players: 1-2

The first game in this series did for computer gaming entertainment what Joggers' Night did round my way twenty years ago for providing an equal measure of visual enlightenment: Yes, we're talking "bouncing bosoms". Forgive me for those who think I'm being crude but what gained the original release the most notoriety was that June was most definitely busting out all over. Babes out to bash your bonce begin with Kasumi, Tina, Helena, Ayane and Leifang. The men include a moustached Patrick Stewart-a-like and one who must be a copy of Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man but more are unlockable as you progress.

Obvious comparisons will be drawn between this and another PS2 title - Tekken Tag Tournament. However, the first thing you notice is how Dead or Alive 2 appears to be more colourful, faster and certainly a more violent game as a higher number of consecutive hits can be performed while your enemy is in the air. When the sound begins though the characters still trade gentle insults in the same condescending manner. The Story mode is a standard arcade game but the main benefit is the ability to leap about the scenery and chuck your opponent off high platforms, sending them crashing to an early grave before you pound them some more. This section ends with the terminally tough Tengu - or is he just a downright cheat? "Time Attack" takes you through a series of bad guys and gals and once the entire run is completed the time taken will be added to the scoreboard so it pays to be quick.

"Survival of the fittest" is the third game as you face a procession of enemies - one at a time - while the "Team Battle" mode lets you select a team of up to five characters to face the Playstation 2's elite force to see who'll have the last man standing. "Versus" is a standard two-player game; "Sparring" is DOA2's practice mode - which will also keep a record of your button presses so you can note down your fancy moves while jumping about your choice of 20 arenas; and "Battle Rec." records the complete melee for you to play back at your leisure. Finally Tekken Tag fans needn't be disheartened with a tag-team game also available although here you have to destroy both opponents instead of just the weakest. Overall, Dead or Alive 2 has the edge with the battle-recording mode but one thing that does irritate is the inability to side-step your opponent in a bid to escape a good occasional kicking when they're ready and you're not.

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Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.