Sneak King Nuts

2,706 copies of Sneak King. About the number
of calories in a Double Whopper meal, I think.
(image from Reddit)

Well, that was unexpected. Someone on Reddit proudly announced that he currently has over two thousand copies of Sneak King, the tactical fast food delivery game that was sold for the Xbox as part of a Burger King promotion years ago. You may remember Sneak King as the only game in this promotion that was worth anyone's time. The other two, Pocketbike Racer and Big Bumpin', were lackluster kart racing titles at a time when the market had plenty of better alternatives. As nutty as it is to own thousands of copies of Sneak King, this collector at least has enough of his sanity left to refrain from buying the other two games in bulk.

So. I've had Dead or Alive on my mind since the big backward compatibility update a few weeks ago, and decided to purchase the sixth game in the series from the Xbox Black Friday sale that started last week (and will be ending later this week, so I'd recommend picking up whatever interests you soon). It's still downloading so I've only been able to play a small sliver of the full game, but one thing I'm sure about even with such a limited taste is that I'm not fond of the new look for the characters. 

Break blows do more damage than standard
attacks, and may force your opponent to step
out of the ring for a minute to redo their
hair and makeup. Maybe I'm just spoiled by all
those Street Fighter IV supers which plaster
your opponent against an invisible wall, I dunno.
(image from YouTube/Kasumi Rina)

Koei-Tecmo is clearly aiming for a more realistic design, but what I'm seeing is way too much makeup on the eyes of the female characters, along with soft, supple skin that doesn't really fit the faces of fighters who have been trading blows for over twenty years. Sure, they can get a little bruised over the course of a fight (with much more damage happening to their outfits... heh), but characters like Kasumi look more like they're ready for a sassy march down a catwalk than a fist fight with assassins and professional wrestlers.

The game plays about as well as it ever has... maybe even slightly smoother than DOA had on previous systems. However, the main attraction is the break blow system. There's a super meter just under your life bar, and when it's filled, you can take advantage of a new special button, assigned to RB on an Xbox One controller. Four taps initiate a "fatal rush," back and special intercepts attacks with a "break hold," and "break blows" are triggered with forward and special. 

I'm normally a fan of super moves, but this new play mechanic doesn't add as much to the Dead or Alive experience as I hoped. Break blows hurt more than a regular attack, and they're more stylish, but they don't turn the tide of a desperate battle like the Fatal Blows in Mortal Kombat 11, and they're certainly not as visually arresting. You knock the sunglasses off Bass or put a cut on the too-perfect face of Kasumi, and that's the extent of the battle damage. I'm not asking for the ultra-violence of Mortal Kombat, but it would be nice if the designers could find some way to get me more invested in these not-so-super super moves.

Like I said, it's still early. I've only lapped a little of the cream from the top of this game, and once it's fully installed maybe I'll better understand its appeal. From what I can see right now, though, it's just more Dead or Alive. To its credit, it's one with difficulty settings below "sledgehammer to the windpipe," and without the minty fresh scourge of Aquafresh Kasumi.