This one's a question for all the fighter fans.

I've been on a fighting game binge for about a week now. I've never been huge on the genre, but lately I find myself drawn to them more and more. Mostly I've been switching between Capcom vs. SNK 2, KOF: Maximum Impact, and DOA Ultimate.

Now here's what's driving me nuts. Almost every fighter I've ever played has a system that can be adapted to as you improve. If I get my ass handed to me at Soul Calibur or Street Fighter II I can usually figure out the counter measures for whatever technique the computer is using to own my ass. I can take on Soul Calibur 1 and 2 at the hardest levels. They make sense to me... but DOA Ultimate is driving me nuts.

Even on normal I can make it about 4 or 5 matches in before the computer just dominates me. I've beaten it before just on pure attrition... continuing over and over until I get lucky for a round or two. Striking flurries are the only thing I've had any luck with, since every time I try a throw or hold the comp tosses me around like damn rag doll. Even in sparring mode with the comp set to throw I can't figure out how to break them.

DOA1 I can understand since I've never played it before, but the really strange thing is that I never experienced this on the dreamcast version of DOA2. It always felt like a bit of a button masher to me. You had to be quick, but it was basically timing and combos.

Is there some overreaching strategy I'm missing, or is this thing just my fighting game kryptonite. What, if anything, changed between DOA2 and DOA2 Ultimate?