There comes a time in every man's life when he is faced with adversity. For some it is harder to handle than others, in my case it is the choice of finally giving up my DOA2 Hardcore and move on. I only choose to this because I now have in my possession a copy of DOA3 for the XBox! After waiting almost a year for this monster to grace my presence I was finally given the opportunity to play this masterpiece known only to you as a fighting videogame. DOA3 surpasses everything ever set by a videogame and sets standards for the future, let us delve into what is possibly the best gaming experience available anywhere!

Visually DOA3 in screenshots will make you think it doesn't have that much over DOA2, but when seen in person things change. You realize that this game is quite possibly, no take that back IS the most gorgeous piece of artwork ever constructed on a home gaming console. The character models far surpass anything ever attempted in the past. Clothes flow with the wind and movement as does hair and other things in the environment, speaking of which let us talk about the environments.

Every stage in DOA3 feels alive in some form or fashion. The game takes the usual battleground from most fighting games and multiplies it by 100. Imagine a sandy beach with birds flocking overhead and tides crashing on the sand. As the calm wind breezes by you deliver that final blow to your opponent and victory is yours. Then as the replay shows you realize that you missed a setting so beautiful that it makes you cry. That is what the environments are like in DOA3.

If you have ever played a previous DOA game you will be familiar with the control scheme. Standard buttons from DOA2 remain punch, kick, counter, and throw (which is actually a combination of other buttons strung togehter). The layout has never been that complex but it is one of the most in depth fighters I have ever played. Reversals are now not as harsh in DOA2 and damage has been limited on their use.

The atmosphere of DOA3 is astounding, including the music! The sounds of DOA3 are just as good if not better than the ones found in DOA2, this time around though we have Aerosmith taking us on a journey with three of their songs making it into the game. Not being a huge fan of Aerosmith myself I can't say I like these better than Bomb Factory but hey it works!

This is one of those moments when I can only do one thing and that is to spooge upon myself. DOA3 is the pinnacle of fighting games and one of the best videogames ever created. If you own an XBox you HAVE to own this title. This game will be a showcase of what the XBox can handle graphically and if this is only a taste I cannot wait to see the encore. Bring home the bacon cuz daddy is happy to see that his favorite franchise fighter is here to remain king. BUY THIS GAME NUFF SAID!!!!