Go Fanboy - Everyone Has A Favorite

Dead or Alive is one of the most popular fighting franchises in the history of gaming, but the great reverses and beautiful graphics are the biggest reason. We all know about the girls of Dead or Alive. Tecmo knew that too and decided back on the original Xbox to create a spin-off starring the girls on a beach. Since then, there have been even more escapades on the beach starring the girls. So we decided to focus this week’s Cosplay Babe of the Week feature on the lovely Kasumi, but just like Tecmo (Tecmo Koei now), we’re looking to the beach instead of the ring. So checkout this week’s gallery of Kasumi in some of the most popular swimsuits from Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

What made the game so fun? We think the swimsuits were the main reason, but here's a quick rundown of the game: In the main story mode, players select a woman to play as for the duration of their two week period. Since the volleyball  matches in the game are always two on two, the player automatically begins with a partner. Each day, players can select one activity in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. While players do have an opportunity to simply relax during these time periods, they are generally used to either court new partners, or to challenge existing partnerships to a game of volleyball. Winning a match provides money which can be used to buy swimsuits and accessories, either for oneself, or as gifts to bestow upon the other women. Alternately, players can also earn money through gambling at a casino located on the island.

Playing volleyball is done primarily through the use of two buttons, one designated for spiking and blocking, and the other for receiving or setting. As many of the actions happen automatically (e.g., jumping up to spike the ball), the game forces the player to focus on timing; a poorly timed press of a button results in a weak hit or a smash into the net. While it is possible to manually direct one's partner towards or away from the net, she will generally move to cover whichever area the player has left empty. The game is one of the few to make use of the analog sensitivity of the face buttons on the Xbox controller, with a softer touch allowing one to barely hit the ball over the net.