Retro|Spective 045: Dead or Alive

[Neon Ignition]

We're bouncing back with...




Mainline Entry 01 - Dead or Alive
Formats: Arcade, Playstation and Saturn
Taking its inspiration from the big hitter of the time, Virtua Fighter, Team Ninja's scrappy 3D fighter stood apart due to its implementation of a countermove system. The edges of the ring were explosive forcing players to keep as central as possible and to mind their footing. The game was a critical and commercial hit saving the company from bankruptcy and cementing it as a core focus for them going forward.

Mainline Entry 02 - Dead or Alive 2
Formats: Arcade, Dreamcast and Playstation 2
Ninja went all out on this sequel that vastly increased the visual standards of the series and introduced lavish multi-tiered stages to the mix. With several updated versions arriving in later years, it was the darling of its time for many who loved the marriage of showboating, counterplay fighting and...yes, jiggle.



Mainline Entry 03 - Dead or Alive 3
Formats: Xbox
The third game made the somewhat questionable decision to be an exclusive for MS's first console. The result was a visually arresting sequel albeit one that sipped any audience made on Sony's platform and in serious progression from the last games break out appeal.

Spin Off Entry 01 - Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Formats: Xbox
The MS friendship continued with the series first spin-off, the mini game focused entry that fully embraced the leering qualities of the franchise. The game had a primary focus on volleyball and was a modest success but arguably had as much negative impact thanks to lacking levels of quality gameplay and reducing the series to a big of a pervy joke against its rivals.

Mainline Entry 04 - Dead or Alive 4
Formats: Xbox 360
After another update of the second entry, the MS focused approach led into the next console for the fourth mainline entry. This time a platform exclusive guest fighter, Master Chief, was brought in and gameplay continued down the refinement route. The new game was similarly received and proved a hit but without the weight of consideration the top tier fighters received.



Spin Off Entry 02 - Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Formats: Xbox 360, Playstation Portable
The final platform exclusive entry hit with this sequel to the mini-game spin off. The game offered more unlockables and features but received criticism for being a lazy sequel. The game was later ported under the name Paradise to PSP.

Spin Off Entry 03 - Dead or Alive Dimensions
Formats: Nintendo 3DS
A compilation of sorts, the 3DS entry is a faithful downsizing of the traditional fighter experience. The game was broadly well received though raised the same query of where the franchise was headed given the lack of progression seen.

Mainline Entry 05 - Dead or Alive 5
Formats: Arcade, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation Vita and PC
The widest amount of ports ever for the series as well as the largest amount of updates and versions too, the fifth game brought in dynamic stages, retooled mechanics and updated visuals to place the series back on the table of consideration for many. It proved to be a successful bid for the studio and they wasted no time making the most of it by cannibalising the game over years of it being broken down, sold in parts, DLC expanded, updated, season passed for costumes etc. There was a lot for fans to digest, they just had to pay for it. It's success did mean the main series stayed quiet for a long while, only now readying itself for the sixth entry.



Spin Off Entry 04 - Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Venus/Fortune
Formats: Playstation 4, Playstation Vita and PC
The third Xtreme hit but this time stayed away from western shores. That may not have been much of an issue though as response was pretty mixed with some questions as to whether it was more a tech demo being raised.

Share your thoughts and memories of the DOA series

[QualityChimp]

We're bouncing back with...

Share your thoughts and mammories of the DOA series

Very good, Supes!

[Asura]

They've just announced how 6 apparently tones down the sexualisation of the female characters - though I'm not so sure. I mean, is Kasumi's new leather catsuit really less sexual than her floaty Japanese outfit from prior games?

[Atticus]

Not my 'cup' of tea

[Team Andromeda]

I like them all tbh.

The Saturn version was a showcase for the system and looked better than Tekken 3 and also 'bounced' all over the PS version. DOA II was just a showstopper on the DC and I loved the multi-layered areas. DOA III visuals on the launch for the XBox put all other consoles games and Arcade games to show with its visuals and Team Ninja pushed the GFX to another level with Ultimate on the XBox

Enjoyed the latter ones too, nice fighting that that's a lot easier to get into than VF. Looking forward to the next game

[Neon Ignition]

The first entry didn't bother me at all, never rated it against its rivals. I enjoyed the second game though and spent a lot of time on it. After that they've been enjoyable but not essential gaming. I've grown to become quite weary of the counter system, it can make matches dull to play in what would otherwise be a solid VF-lite game.

The Xtreme games are all completely redundant and blatantly there purely to... titillate fans. I didn't buy a single bit of DLC for DOA5 but the sheer endless store cluttering scale of it all made me so burnt out that I automatically have a poor impression of DOA6 regardless of Ninja's intentions with it.

This is also the first Retro|spective to scale back the screenshots. Not a coincidence, googling the series is a dangerous game.

[Asura]

DOA III visuals on the launch for the XBox put all other consoles games and Arcade games to show with its visuals and Team Ninja pushed the GFX to another level with Ultimate on the XBox

Yeah, people do overlook the technical achievements the games have made.

DOA3 looked amazing on Xbox.

DOA2U was practically the template for online fighting games. Its netcode wasn't perfect, but it was an enormous improvement on Capcom's earlier efforts.

DOA4 built upon DOA2U's online system and polished off most of the rough edges, and was still light years ahead of other titles. VF5 had better netcode but the overall experience wasn't as polished, as observer lobbies were such a big part of the DOA experience.

I personally feel that the games did a lot for fighting games as a whole; I almost wish Sega approached Virtua Fighter with DOA's release cadence.

Plus, we can make jokes about the sexual nature of the franchise all day, but Virtua Fighter is pretty much finished while DOA persists, despite the games having a reasonable amount in common (certainly if you were to group the big 3D fighting franchises, DOA and VF would be in the same group, for obvious reasons).

I always found DOA's sexploitation a curio; has anyone ever played Rumble Roses? I had a go once after getting a copy for literally pennies when Gamestation was closing down, and something about that game was just dirty. It had this weird, sleazy, voyeuristic streak. DOA certainly has that, but by contrast it feels so light and ridiculous that it's more humour than sex, like how a raunchy seaside post-card might have a nude girl on it, but it isn't seen as porn.

[Anpanman]

Fair points Asura, I could never get into the series though. On the PS compared to Tekken I thought it was weak. Got it on the Xbox only because nothing else was available but didn't play it that long if I'm honest.

Volleyball though was a different matter, yes you had all the outfits and such but as a game I thought it was a really good implementation of beach volley certainly best I've played (though it may be the only one I've played).

[BigDeadFreak]

Always had a soft spot for the series (no pun intended). It's clearly the poor relation of Tekken and Virtua Fighter but it has a certain charm. It's got that bit more personality that Virtua Fighter and it's always felt technically superior to the concurrent Tekken game.

I know people get all Mary Whitehouse when it comes to the jiggling boobs but honestly, who cares. The game clearly doesn't take itself too seriously and it's just a bit of harmless fun. A game where you get to use hulking great men to beat women unconscious and people get their mooncups in a twist about jiggling breasts?!

[Neon Ignition]

The series definitely got 100% more creepy when the fanbase became obsessed with Marie Rose

[BigDeadFreak]

I liked the fact that there was a certain rhythmic feel to the game, especially when playing with certain characters. With Gen and Christie in particular it felt possible to play it as one long flowing sequence of moves, provided you got the rhythm right.

[Wools]

The Saturn version was a showcase for the system and looked better than Tekken 3 and also 'bounced' all over the PS version.

I know all of this is subjective but you really felt DOA Saturn looks better than Tekken 3?

The only thing I thought was better was the smoothness of DOA, but felt the texture work, stage design, VFX and polygon modelling looks stunning in Tekken 3. Not so much in DOA Saturn.

[MrKirov]

You missed DOA Paradise on the PSP.

I love DOA. The fighting games, and even the beach volleyball.

The fighting is great pick up and play, and always looks great in motion. The volleyball games are pervy as hell, but they have a weird summer game vibe about them, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed the little gameplay they have to offer.

I enjoy seeing the difference of the original versions on arcade/Saturn anPS1- they look like different games.

[chopemon]

I've played most of the DOA games a decent amount but casually. Never taken them seriously but I really like them as a game to play with a bunch of people or with a friend online with some drinks. I've always thought their impacts were great; snappy anims with big impact noises, VFX and reaction anims from your opponent. When you get hit there is a very quick transition from whatever animation you're doing into the reaction animation and I think it looks great.

I enjoyed the volleyball games as well. The jet ski and volleyball games were good fun. I've played the PS4 one a load because obviously I like computer ladies but also because it has a chill vibe and the friendship and gifting system was really obscure at launch and it was fun to figure out. It's a relaxing game compared to the constant aggro or objectives of other games.

Looking forward to 6. Hope my long time DOA buddy gets it as well since we usually play them together.

[Leon Retro]

A great series. I remember seeing the Saturn version running in an import shop in London and being really impressed.

After that, I was blown away by the second game on the Dreamcast. The graphics in all areas were astonishing, so a game to really show off the hardware to people who hadn't bought the machine.

Then the third game hit the Xbox and was another amazing technical tour de force. I was playing it the other day and it's still very impressive. Team Ninja really were a talented bunch.

Dead or Alive Ultimate is also an amazing showcase for the Xbox tech.

After that, I became obsessed with retro gaming, so I haven't played anything after Ultimate. But this thread has inspired me to explore later games.