Very few games have been as beautiful (or as bouncy) as the DOA series. Dead or Alive (PSX) was a sophisticated and well done fighter with quite a bit of potential for sequels...it had many faults however, but it was still a good fighter. Dead or Alive 2 (DC) took the fighting genre graphics to a greater level. It has great control and is an all around awesome fighter. It was a good competitor for the best Dreamcast fighting game, Soul Calibur (I consider DOA 2 to be better but, evidently, alot of others don't). Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore (PS2) was a good game but felt too much like a rehash. Dead or Alive 3 is the most beautiful fighter that I have ever laid my eyes on. The graphics and in-depth gameplay are what attrated me to this game. It has a wide variety of techniques and characters that you can really get into. Review Board vegetable Transmetal gets into the character of Brad Wong, the drunken master.

As you all know, a first impression can make or break a game...or a date. This games is a pretty good looking game. I had my doubts about the gameplay and the control of the game. In my experiences of great looking games, most of them don't play as well as you'd like. This thought comes mainly from years of playing 16-bit games. Over-all the game looked pretty good. It had a fairly good amount of hype and it brought people to look at the systems a little more and not just at the games. The opening title sequence definitely put a good spin on the game as it opens with Aerosmith's Nine Lives. The game contains three Aerosmith Classics as well as several series originals.

This game is definitely a great example of X Box capabilities. It has realistic environments, beautiful character models, and pretty cool lookin' snow. There is no flaws in the game's look, but there is some flaw in the department of connection. Every once in a while, when you hit the opponent, you can see a tiny bit of your foot. But that's to be expected in a video game. The graphics are as close to flawless as I have seen in any game, be it Final Fantasy X (PS2), Rogue Squadron (GC), or Fusion Frenzy (XBOX). Yes, this is a very pretty game, but does it hold up in the other catigories?

DOA 3 has several things working in its favor. One of them is the sound. The game contains Three Aerosmith hits and a multitude of original classics from the DOA series. When fighting, you hear the body of your opponent smacking upon the ground with a large thud. You hear the kicks and punches connect. The snapping of bones (even though the opponent obviously doesn't feel it) is definitely a plus. With Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the game kicks ass in the sound category. People do have a problem with the fact that the game vocals are entirely in japanese. This doesn't bother me. As a matter of fact, I think its better this way. At least with the original japanese voices, no one is complaining about horrible dubbing. for those of you without Dolby Digital, the game still sounds terrific on any other sound system. 5.1 or 10 year-old TV, the game sounds great.

The fighting genre has been plagued by a many problems. The chiefest of these problems is that fighting games easily become stale and repeatative. It is difficult to maintain a series of fighting games with out the series getting dull. Mortal Kombat had this same problem. After a while the games were too similar. team Ninja, however, has done a good job of keeping the Dead or Alive series fresh and entertaining. The differing styles definitely give it a lot of replay value. In several games before the New Age of Fighters, if you mastered one character, you mastered them all. The newer fighters like Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive, have several different characters that have such differing styles that when you master one, playing as another you completely suck. This also adds to the replay value. Dead or Alive 3 has 16 characters, each with their own moves. Some have the same style, but in accordance with different teachings, they have different moves. It's great!!

Control is a large part in what makes a game worth gold or a coffee table coaster. The control style in DOA 3 is, in a word, great. The controls do have problems when you wish to duck or do a Hail Mary jump into what you hope will be a safe spot. Because of the games full 3D environment, the up and down buttons do two different functions: the up arrow both jumps and sidesteps while the down button ducks and sidesteps. Elsewise, the controls are very well done. The characters do what you tell them and there are tons of moves at different difficulties to perform. In short the controls are great and the controller is great (looking directly at Transmetal with his really small hands) (Transmetal in turn looks at webmaster with bigfoot hands ;).

The game has its strong and weak points. I definitely think that a fighting gamer would love this game. It is, in my opinion, the best fighter ever. Just that easy...ever. To all those people who think Smash Bros. is the best fighter ever...Smash Bros. isn't a fighter, it is a button masher. And to Transmetal, X BOX ROCKS GAMECUBE FAILS TO COMPARE!!!!! Anyway, this review only counts for half the reasons you should play this game. The other half comes from playing it.

+ The graphics are utterly amazing

+ Differing styles make for incredibly close match-ups

+ The sounds is incredible

+ The X BOX controller pulls no stops in making the fighter extra controllable, unlike the Gamecube's

+ The girls

- Some of the characters pull every trick in the book

- Tecmo actually thought about putting this on the PS2 first

? How does Christie fight in what she's wearing without her...nevermind

Overall (not an average): 9.5/10