Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore (PlayStation 2)
Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore is an enhanced version of Dead or Alive 2. I've never really cared much for these half versions. Either include what you want in the game at the outset or make enough improvements for a true sequel. Don't charge me full price for what is essentially an expansion.
Anyway, Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore retains the same basic game modes of the original. These include Story Mode, Time Attack, Survival, Tag Battle, and Sparring. Basically, the most important change is probably the slightly upgraded graphics that include improvements to the character models and environments.
Of course, it doesn't stop there. You get incredible new content like unlockable costumes! Honestly, I'm not really sure what the point of this release was other than fanservice and to extract more money out of all the suckers...I mean TRUE fans of the series.
I have nothing against the Dead or Alive series as a whole. They are all pretty solid 3D fighting games. But to make an entire additional game release for which the biggest obvious change is more costumes seems a bit absurd. Again, don't get me wrong. There isn't anything wrong with the game, especially if you are a fighting game fan. It's just that to me it does not offer enough of an upgrade over DOA2 to justify a full-priced game.
Dead or Alive 2 was released for several platforms including the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and of course there was the original arcade release. Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore was only released for the PS2. If you have a PS2 and want to give this game a try, I would bypass the original DOA2 and just get this one for the few slight improvements it offers. If you already have DOA2 then there really isn't a good reason to get this one unless you are an obsessive collector which I would fully understand.
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I get what you are saying about this being a half assed expansion style release but for PlayStation 2 owners, this is the first shot at this game for them. Had they released this on Dreamcast, or released the Dreamcast version of DOA2 on PS2, then released this, I would whole heartedly agree with your sentiment.
At least they added something extra with this release. Sega is well known for doing jack squat between ports and still asking full price each time.
I agree as a new port to a system that didn't already have DOA2 it makes a little more sense. When I was originally looking up info for the game, a lot of sites seem to be conflating DOA2 and DOA2 Hardcore. It's a little confusing because the original DOA2 was in fact released on the PS2...just only in Japan. So Japan got both DOA2 and DOA2: Hardcore on the PS2. The U.S. only got Hardcore.
That is usually how it goes, Japan gets more releases than we do. In this case it seems the US PS2 players got the better version without being nicke land dimed to death.
Remember Capcom with Street Fighter 2 on SNES and Genesis? $50+ for expansions over and over. That sucked because at the time, tech was available to do expansion packs with cartridges, just look at Sonic and Knuckles. Maybe the fundamental code of the first SF2 on SNES was not programmed with this idea in mind or something, and I am sure it is much harder than it sounds to do an expansion that big on cartridge.