I was playing Dead or Alive 2 on PCSX2 again and kept getting distracted just by how much of a jaggy mess the game was even when upscaled. I assumed it had something to do with interlacing, but even with the deinterlacing patch applied or trying out PCSX2’s various deinterlacing options the very noticeable stair-stepping remained. I chalk it up to just some weird early PS2 jank since I had similar problems with the first Onimusha where I just couldn’t get the 3D to look clean.
It bugged me enough that I had to check out the DC version, so one download of Flycast later I was surprised by how much less aliasing was noticeable at 1080p and how much crisper the overall look of the game was.
While the DC version lacks the “next-gen” lighting from the PS2 version, I’m not actually sure if it’s a detriment. On DC, the colours on the characters just pop more whereas the PS2 version can look a little washed out. The lighting is simpler on DC, sure, but at least in the stages I played it feels like the original lighting system is what the game’s assets were designed for, and the PS2 port just slathered everything in fancy next-gen Emotion Engine sauce.
It’s kind of hard to pick between the two since the PS2 has more content but kind of fucked controls, but on the other hand the DC only has two shoulder buttons for macros.
As a bonus, enjoy the weirdly different PS2 and DC iterations of the same cutscene and leave your best argument as to whether this makes the PS2 version censored/woke 🤔
I prefer how it looks on the PS2 in your video.
It depends on the stage, but when it comes to emulation the extremely jagged edges really kill the PS2 version for me
There are more games where they look better on the DC than the PS2. Le Mans 24 Hours looks better on DC, but that’s because it was developed first for the DC and later on for the PS2, I think the engine for this game was also used on Transformers Armada on the PS2 and it looks good there.
In this case it’s interesting how the PS2 has “better” or at least fancier graphics but the added effects and lighting look kind of slapped on. The colour palette in the Xbox DOA games resembles the DC version of DOA2 more than it does the PS2 which makes me think the DC version is how the game was intended to look
Edit: The PS2 version also has the weird aliasing but I assume it didn’t really come into play as much played on CRTs with original hardware
Dreamcast was the peak console for 2d fighters. Best version of MVC2. Capcom vs SNK 2. Now proof the DOA version was better.
I still have my Dreamcast in storage. Maybe someday I’ll grab a burner and download games. It was very easy to burn disks iirc.
Better to just get an ODE and put every game ever released on an SD card.
This was my first time messing with anything Dreamcast. Now that I have dipped my toes in I guess I might grab some other games too
Ikaruga is incredible
yeah but look at the character models reflecting those sick ass colored lights zooming through the background at mach 3. totally doesn’t look like shit
Which version is the xbox version based on?
neither. it’s probably 3’s engine since they got rid of the free step button and all the stages are different
It always annoyed me that despite DOA2U basically being a mod of DOA3 they got rid of Christie and Brad and left only Hitomi in. Just kind of sours the package
Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate on the Xbox is actually based on Dead or Alive 3, just with DOA2 mechanics, moves and remade outfits and stages.
Me trying to find out if I prefer DOA2 in matte or high-gloss 🤔
