"Dead or Alive" may not have the pedigree that its fellow fighting games may have, but it's still been a fixture on the fighting scene for the past fifteen years due to its dedicated fan following. Since it offered a more arcade-style experience when it was originally released, it's never garnered the respect of the technical fighters that flocked to "Tekken" or "Virtua Fighter" or the combo lovers that gravitated towards Capcom's "Vs." series. However, the franchise's latest release, "Dead or Alive Dimensions," certainly proves that it may be able to stake a serious claim in the hearts of portable gamers.
THE BASICS
Tomonobu Itagaki's infamous fighting franchise has returned, bringing its fast-paced action, and uniquely developed physics into 3D. With this release, familiar faces, along with a couple of surprises, from the previous "DOA" games make their fighting game debut on a portable platform. Taking advantage of all of the 3DS' capabilities, "Dimensions" follows suit with previous "DOA" releases in just about every category; graphics, story, characters, and gameplay. In addition to a lengthy story mode, "DOA" also offers Arcade, Tag, Survival and Free Play modes, in addition to local and on-line multiplayer.
THE HIGHS
Chronicle Mode
"Dead or Alive" has never really been known for its deep, coherent story, but "Dimensions" manages to piece together what it can, and recaps all of the major points from the previous titles. From Hatyate's disappearance to the fall of DOATEC, the game's six chapters go further than any of the other titles in the series to introduce players to all of the key characters and help you figure out just why they're important.
Learning The Ropes
One of the reasons that "DOA" has had such a bad reputation all of these years is that it seemed to be the go-to game for button mashers. However, as you work your way through the Chronicle Mode, you'll have the opportunity to see just how complex the fights actually can be. The tutorial walks you through everything from the basic attacks to teaching you how to effectively use counters, and land critical attacks. It's a surprisingly in depth and informative breakdown of the game's mechanics.
A Well Rounded 3DS Game
While it isn't surprising for launch window games to really emphasize a new system's feature set, "Dimensions" packs as much punch in terms of 3DS goodies as "SSFIV3D." Fans that want the full experience can take advantage of StreetPass to exchange AI player data, SpotPass to download new costumes, Play Coins to unlock rare figures, and even the gyroscope gets used in the menus. Most of these features are just icing on the cake, but it makes for a robust experience nonetheless.
THE LOWS
Inconsistent Cutscenes
"DOA" has pushed the envelope graphically on every system it has ever been on, and, as good as it looks on the 3DS, there's some obvious moments where the developers appear to have run out of memory. These breakdowns come exclusively during the cutscenes where about half of them include motion and lip-syncing, and the other half only include static 3D renders, with VO over the backgrounds. While it's not a huge setback for the title, it creates a highly inconsistent experience.
Same Ol' "DOA"
If you've played a "DOA" fighting game before, then you'll know just what to expect in "Dimensions." There's nothing really new here that isn't driven by the hardware. If you've taken issue with the franchise in the past, you'll probably have those same complaints, but longtime fans will be pleased.
THE VERDICT
"Dead or Alive Dimensions" is the series' first release without Itagaki at the helm, and while it has lost its creator, it may find a larger audience. With accessible, yet nuanced gameplay, a robust amount of features, and possibly the best graphics on the system to date, "Dimensions" is a must buy for 3DS owners that enjoy an arcade-style fighting experience (and may be growing tired of "Street Fighter"). At the very least, if you have any doubts about the graphical or 3D capabilities of the 3DS, "Dimensions" should put that to rest once and for all. Oh, and there's a Samus and Ridley cameo, so that's awesome too.