by:	November 06, 2004

Back in 1997, Tecmo entered the 3-d fighting world with the release of Dead or Alive, which showed the world that adding a 3rd dimension to the fighting genre didn’t just impact gameplay, but that it also added quite a bit of “bounce” to the graphical presentation. It wasn’t until Dead or Alive 2 was released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 that the series really took off, though. Providing some of the best graphics anyone had seen before, and a fast-paced, accessible fighting engine, DOA soon joined the ranks of other popular 3-d fighting games, like Tekken and Soul Calibur. A year later, Dead or Alive 3 showcased the power of the Xbox hardware as one of its premiere launch titles. Though the franchise is best-known for its beautiful graphics and voluptuous female fighters, the solid, counter-heavy combat lurking beneath the beautiful hood has propelled the DOA name to the top of the genre. It comes as no surprise, then, that Xbox owners have been eagerly awaiting an online-enabled version of the popular fighter ever since the launch of the Xbox Live service two years ago. Tecmo’s Team Ninja has answered their prayers with Dead or Alive Ultimate, and while it may not be the “ultimate” version that its name implies, it still delivers one of the best all-around experiences the genre has seen this generation. If you’re looking for an online fighting game to spend some time with in the wake of Mortal Kombat: Deception, look no further.

Dead or Alive Ultimate contains both the Saturn version of the original DOA along with an upgraded version of DOA 2: Hardcore, which debuted on the PS2 shortly after its launch. For some reason, each game is on a separate disc. Both games are Xbox Live compatible, making the overall package one of the sweetest deals to come along for online gamers in quite awhile. Before we get into DOA 2, though, let’s briefly touch base on the “ultimate” version of the original Dead or Alive. The game features eight characters to choose from, all of which are also present in DOA 2. Though the game looked pretty good when it was released, it’s pretty amazing to see just how far things have come in seven short years. The series has retained much of its original look and feel as it evolved, but the pacing of the game sped up considerably from the transition between the original and its sequel. Don’t expect to pull off the same long combos in the original that you’re used to seeing in the series’ latest iterations. The fighting engine was much simpler back then, and the detailed, destructible environments that we came to love are nowhere to be seen. Each round takes place on a flat ring, with fighters taking extra damage when they hit the ground outside the ring’s designated area. The timing-based reversal system still prominently decides who wins and who loses, but the counterattacks weren’t nearly as flashy in the first game as they are now. Still, anyone who missed the original title but spent time playing the second or third game in the series will feel right at home playing Dead or Alive. It’s actually quite amazing that many of the characters have not only been wearing the same outfits throughout the series, but that a large percentage of the motion-captured animations have been recycled in each new game, as well. That just goes to show how solid of a foundation the Dead or Alive series was built upon, and it’s interesting to have two very similar, yet very different games side by side in one package to see just how far things have come.

Without a doubt, though, Dead or Alive 2 is the heart of DOAU, and it’s where most people will spend the vast majority of their time with the title. While the original Dead or Alive feels like little more than a nostalgic add-on, Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate somehow feels new and fresh, despite being nothing more than a graphically enhanced version of DOA 2 with a couple new characters and online play. Altogether, DOA 2 Ultimate features 15 playable characters, with three of them locked at the start—everyone from the original version, along with a playable Tengu (the final boss) and Hitomi from DOA 3. Unfortunately, a few characters from the Xbox-exclusive DOA 3 were left out, keeping DOAU from truly being a compilation of everything the series has achieved. The exclusion of Brad Wong, Christie and Hayate, while not something that detracts from the overall experience, is still disappointing. This would truly be the ultimate DOA title if it weren’t for those few missing characters. As anyone who’s played Dead or Alive 2 or 3 in the past can attest, the game features a frantically fast-paced fighting engine that’s easily accessible to beginners while offering enough depth to ensure that even the best keep coming back to perfect their techniques. The controls are simple to pick up and feel natural on the Xbox controller, with a single button for punching, kicking, grappling and reversing mapped to each of the four face buttons. Combos can be strung together by using different combinations the punch and kick buttons, each of which performs a different type of strike depending on the direction you press in conjunction on the d-pad. It’s not uncommon to see a beginner completely pummel a veteran player with unpredictable button mashing, and yet watching a seasoned DOA vet crush his/her opponents with incredible precision and timing reassures you that there’s serious skill required to be a master of the game.