Photo Dojo First Look

How many times have you played a fighting game and wished you could dive right in to get in on the fisticuffs? If you're like us, we're talking literally tens of times. Now, you'll be able to see your (frankly strange) dream come true with the upcoming Photo Dojo for DSi Ware. One part fighting game, one part DSi camera application, Photo Dojo looks to put you and your friends (or your pets, or your kitchenware) in a simplistic fighting game that can be played solo or against a friend. Nintendo showed the game off for the first time during its press event earlier today.

Here's how it works: Using the DSi's built-in camera, you create your fighter by taking snapshots of yourself (or anything else really) in a variety of poses. There are poses for punches, kicks, and even ranged attacks, as well as poses for things like being attacked by an enemy. This makes a grand total of 13 poses you can capture to create your virtual fighter. The customization doesn't end there, however; you can also record your voice to accompany your strikes or taunt your opponent.

Once you've got your character created, you can take that character to the game's solo mode, which pits your fighter against a string of enemies, beat-'em-up style. Considering the game's limited number of poses, it's doubtful the fighting engine is that complex. It is, however, entertaining. During the demo we watched, the Nintendo producer played as a string of taunts emanated from his created character, including intimidating customized admonitions like "Watch out for my girlie parts!" and "Obey the captain!"

While the single-player game looks to be a fun little lark, the multiplayer gives you the added benefit of letting you deliver a beatdown to the creations of your friends. Two people can play a multiplayer fight on one DSi, with one person using the D pad and right shoulder button while the other uses the face buttons and left shoulder button to control the action. The onscreen fighting is fast paced, and there are even special attacks you can use against your opponent. During the multiplayer fight, one female character grew to an enormous size and delivered a fight-ending kick that was accompanied by a most painful taunt, "You've been beaten by a girl!" Ouch.

Look for Photo Dojo available on DSi Ware this spring.