Dead or Alive Ultimate (Xbox)

(Herald rating: * * * *)

Fans of the Dead or Alive fighting series may well have been disappointed when its creators decided to put out not a fourth instalment of the game, but a rehashed version of DOA 1 and DOA 2.

But Dead or Alive Ultimate is more than a simple re-issue. It's like a collectors' box set edition for true fans of the fighting game genre.

The Dead or Alive 1 title was released in the 1990s to critical acclaim but didn't get any play outside Japan. Dead or Alive 2 received a wider release.

Here DOA 1 has been emulated for the Xbox platform with a few tweaks, while DOA 2 has had a more extensive overhaul with new cut-away scenes, characters, costumes and fighting moves.

The quality difference between the two is noticeable, with the graphics in Dead or Alive 2 much slicker. It's one of those titles like Halo and Halo 2, which really does the Xbox justice.

The games are underpinned by typically eccentric and violent Japanese story-telling. The new introduction to DOA 2 which, bizarrely, features a soundtrack by rock band Aerosmith, is fairly impressive.

The single-player game, where you fight your way to the top, is at the heart of both titles. Various playing modes are available and with extra controllers you can get in your friends to have a four-person tournament. Fifteen characters are ready to play, three of which you can unlock only by progressing through the single-player game.

In story mode you progress through a series of fights, unlocking costumes and characters and watching

cut-scenes that propel the storyline along. Tag team fights and survival encounters where opponents are continuously thrown at you keep things interesting.

The Team Ninja trademarks are all over the game, from the booming soundtrack to the costume design.

The female characters have ample bosoms, beautiful outfits and a kick on them that will put you through a wall. You can tell from the opening scenes who this game is aimed at — the same audience as Dead on Arrival: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, which took the bikini theme to another level.

The DOA 2 fighting takes you around the world, from a snow-covered Japanese courtyard reminiscent of the final scene of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, to an African savannah, where elephants and lions roam in the background.

Rather than hammering an opponent, an experienced player will spend half the game countering, turning the attacker's power back on them. Gameplay is simple to master and buttons can be programmed for kick and punch combinations.

Importantly, the DOA titles are now playable on Xbox Live with a new set of scenarios in which you can play with up to seven people.

It allows the best fighters to search each other out on the web and the novices to sit on the sidelines and learn the martial art of fighting.

Price: $100