Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

After the endless jokes fuelled by the original Dead or Alive, developers Tecmo shook off the criticism and came back strong with a capable and energetic sequel for the PS2 and Dreamcast.

Now the series has popped up again as an Xbox exclusive and already DOA3 has sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Graphically, the game is flawless. The opening movie shows dozens of seabirds carried by the wind above a beach bathed in twilight. This kind of sweet scenery is unrelenting throughout the various locations, now richer in detail and with multiple levels to scrap on.

Every good fighting franchise needs strong characters. Hard-hitting newcomers include DJ Zack, wrestler (and Hulk Hogan lookalike) Bass and a bunch of other tough guys.

But the real stars of DOA3 are the ladies, namely favourites Lei Fang and Kasumi, capably supported by Tina, Helena and Ayane, and now Hitomi.

There are any number of ways to play DOA3 - story mode, time attack, tag battle, survival, team battle, versus mode, watch mode (this lets you sit on your chuff while the AI thump each other), sparring mode and theatre mode.

With all this variety and numerous multiplayer opportunities, DOA3 stands out even among the top 3-D fighting games of the new era.

* Xbox/$129.95

Email: jon@tenthplanet.co.nz