Dead or Alive 2

The fight neither begins nor ends on a flat floor — in Dead or Alive 2 your opponent kicks you off a balcony, you fly a level down and the battle continues amid showering sparks. This game turned the arena from a backdrop into an active player.

Team Ninja, led by Tomonobu Itagaki, built the combat system on an elegant trio of strike–grab–throw, complemented by the famous counter (hold) system. Instead of blocking, you bet on prediction here: if you correctly read the type of incoming strike and react in time, you turn your opponent's force against them. This produces fast, psychologically tense exchanges where every hesitation is punished and reading your adversary is rewarded.

Visually it was one of the prettiest games of its time. Fluid animation, detailed characters and above all the multi-level, interactive arenas you fly through across several floors — knocking opponents off heights became the series' hallmark and gave the duels a dynamism its contemporary rivals didn't have.

The game first appeared in the arcade in 1999, and the home version for the Dreamcast (2000) delivered a faithful, technically impressive port that ranked among the console's visual showcases. For many players it was their first contact with the series in full glory.

Dead or Alive 2 fundamentally shaped the direction of the entire brand and set out its identity: speed, visual gloss and a counter system based on risk and reward. It made Tecmo and Team Ninja a respected name among fighting-game creators.

Why play it: A fast, visually dazzling 3D fighter with a brilliant counter system and multi-level arenas that defined the identity of the entire series.