Latest on Dead or Alive Paradise

I'm not sure if there's much point in writing about Dead or Alive Paradise without accompanying media. But I'll try my best.

Tecmo's fan service DOA title got its second spread in this week's Famitsu. The main focus is on the exclusive pics of the DOA babes in bathing suits. Really, that's it. The magazine doesn't even provide names for the suits -- just the pics.

There are a couple of newsworthy bits about the swimsuits mentioned in the magazine. First off, the game will offer exclusive swimwear. You'll find swimsuits that weren't even in Xbox 360's Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.

The second point isn't really mentioned in words, but is apparent in the screens. Joining Kasumi, Lisa, and Hitomi in the magazine's swimwear screens is newcomer Rio. You'll recall that Rio joins the cast from Tecmo's pachinko lineup where she's apparently "Diva of the Pachinko World" (I don't know nothing about pachinko, but that's how Famitsu describes her). While she was previously announced as being the dealer in the in-game casino, the bathing suit shots suggest that her status may be closer to the other girls.

Outside of the swimwear, the magazine provides brief looks at a couple of other areas of the game: photography and music.

(left) The bathing suits look something like that. (right) Rio does more than just deal cards.

Previously, Tecmo announced a photography mode that lets you snap pics of the girls. You'll be able to access this mode once you've obtained a camera item. The game promises a simple photography interface, where you simply adjust the camera angle and press the shutter. You can turn the finder interface on and off in case you don't want anything getting in the way of your Kasumi closeups.

On the music side of things, the game will allow you to use custom soundtracks by accessing a Radio Station. This part of the game taps into your Memory Stick's MP3 library. You'll also find pre-recorded songs, including Goddess of Victory.

Now that you have all the information, pray that Tecmo gives Paradise a media update soon. At the very least, Famitsu.com should be following up its print coverage with the usual online update later this week.

(additional reporting by Ryan Winterhalter)