(LAST UPDATE: 6/25/2009)
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Developer(s): Team Ninja
Publisher(s): Tecmo
Designer(s): Tomonobu Itagaki
Platform(s): Arcade, Sega Saturn, Playstation
Release Date(s): 1996 (Arcade), October 9th 1997 (
Saturn), March 12th 1998
( PS1), March 31st 1998 (
PS1)
Characters:
Lei
Fang, Tina,
Bass,
Kasumi,
Zack,
Hayabusa,
Gen
Fu, Jann Lee, Bayman
Related Games:
Dead
or Alive 2, Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, Dead
or Alive 3, Dead or Alive 4
Review: The original version of Dead or Alive was released in arcades in 1996, utilizing Sega's Model 2 arcade board and was the first time Sega licensed their hardware to a third-party-company in this case, Tecmo. Dead or Alive, a brand new 3D fighter looked a lot like Sega's Virtua Fighter 2, and presented a diverse roster of martial artists. The game was ported to the Sega Saturn only in Japan, and in 1998, a Playstation version was created which had many differences from the original versions, including reworked graphics and, new moves, and also a ton of extras, such as 84 unlockable character costumes!
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The gameplay engine was similar the Sega's Virtua Fighter, using only 3 buttons (punch, kick, and hold). DOA though, was a faster game and relied more on simplistic commands and reaction time. The system works well with the ability to use reversals and counter your opponents moves quite easily, but still requires good timing. DOA's countering system was the first in the fighting genre to utilize different commands that corresponded to each type of attack. The other unique (and somewhat odd) aspect of the gameplay is the "danger zone," which surrounded the outer edges of the fighting arena, and when a character came in contact with it, they would be sent flying into the air, where the a skilled opponent could pull off an air combo. The main flaw about the gameplay is the lack of a sidestep, which has become a staple among 3D fighters on the market.
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Dead or Alive quickly became well known
in the fighting game community for it's silly animation of the breasts of the
female characters, which were comically large and would slowly bounce up and
down whilst the character was fighting... It was a funny, yet effective effect
for the time. The character designs of DOA weren't terrible, but definitely
lacked originality and personality. This trait kinda stuck with the series
unfortunately.
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- Review is for Playstation version of Dead or Alive - |
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7.5 / 10 |
Closing Comment: Team Ninja made a decent impact to the fighting genre with the first DOA, but they clearly had plenty of room to grow their series. The Playstation version of the game is the best in my opinion, and was a rather good console fighting game for the time. ~F.Yagami, Webmaster of TFG
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