AMSTERDAM--One of the many games on display at Microsoft's X05 press event in Amsterdam is Dead or Alive 4, the upcoming fighting game from Tecmo. The game is the latest entry in the DOA series, which has come to be a key part of Microsoft's console software library. The DOA games for the original Xbox have showcased both the platform's graphical prowess and the potential of Xbox Live. The series maintains that reputation with DOA4, which is poised to do all of the above for the Xbox 360.

　　The work-in-progress version of the game on display featured a handful of playable characters and arenas to fight in. Though there hasn't been as dramatic a change in this version of the game as there was when we played the game at the Tokyo Game Show, a healthy level of polish continues to be added.

　　The stagger mechanic continues to be tweaked, and in this version it feels almost right. The combination of the screen effect and stagger animation looks good, but it still needs a little adjustment before it will feel completely comfortable. The new fighters continue to feature improved handling as Team Ninja works on balancing the gameplay.

　　The visuals are still in development, but they're gorgeous so far and showcase a healthy sampling of graphical effects. Besides the aforementioned stagger effect, the fighters show finer detail. The ladies continue to display the most improvement due to their free-flowing hair, which gets significantly better with each version. The battle arenas are impressive thanks to sharp textures and a decent level of interactivity.

　　The game's handling continues to be different from that of the previous entries in the series. The action is faster and much more visceral than in the earlier games. The accelerated pacing makes it much harder to recover if you've been sloppy about how you play. Button mashing still yields some flashy results but won't take you as far as it did in previous iterations. Counters are tougher to pull off and require you to learn their timing if you want to be consistent about them.

　　Based on what we played, we reckon that Dead or Alive 4 is headed in a positive direction. Glossy visuals, meaty gameplay, and a good dose of fun should ensure that the game is one of the bright lights in the Xbox 360's software lineup when it ships this year. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.