Dead or Alive: Dimensions

Dead or Alive: Dimensions (DOAD) is a fighting game developed by Team Ninja and released by Tecmo Koei and in some regions by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. Originally planned as a launch title for the 3DS but delayed due to the earthquake, DOAD makes use of the console's unique features. The game was well received by critics.

Dimensions can be considered a compilation game rather than a truly new entry in the Dead or Alive series, similar to the likes of Mortal Kombat Trilogy or Tekken Tag Tournament. It offers 26 playable fighters, more than any previous installment in the franchise, and uses a modified engine of Dead or Alive 4. Its plot compiles the stories of the previous four main DOA games, focusing on Kasumi, other ninja characters, and Helena.

Dimensions was the first DOA game to be released on a Nintendo system, the first one not fully published by Tecmo (it was jointly published with Nintendo in Europe and Australia), the first DOA fighting game released on a handheld, and most notably, the first released without any involvement from series creator Tomonobu Itagaki. It was also is the first game in the series to have a "Teen" rating from the ESRB since Dead or Alive 3 by toning down the sexual content for female characters; nevertheless, the game was not distributed in Sweden and consequently in all Scandinavia, and experienced problems with being released in Australia as well.

Gameplay

Gameplay on an Aqua Blue 3DS

In Dead or Alive Dimensions, the action is displayed on the top screen of the Nintendo 3DS, while the special fighting moves are displayed on the touch screen below. DOAD incorporates a Chronicle Mode feature, which acts as a story mode in the game, going through all four Dead or Alive tournaments as the player assumes the roles of various fighters from the series. The other modes featured are Arcade (in which the player fights for additional time), Survival (in which the player fights until he defeats all opponents or is knocked out), Free Play, Training, Showcase (in which the player position 3D models on a stage and takes 3D photos of them), and 3D Photo Album (in which the player views the photos taken in Showcase mode).^[4]

Tha game's stages are mostly taken from Dead or Alive 3 and Dead or Alive 4. The only substantial new content is the inclusion of a stage based on Metroid: Other M – a Wii game co-developed by Team Ninja with Nintendo – with characters from that game appearing as stage hazards (but not playable fighters).^[5][6][7]

The 3DS's touch screen is used for executing special fighting moves for his or her character, while the top screen is used for displaying the fight, in a similar fashion to Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition.^[8] Dimensions also uses the 3DS' StreetPass feature to make AI representations of the player, based on their play patterns, that can challenge other owners of the game in the Throwdown mode.^[9] Dimensions offers a framerate of 60 frames per second with the consoles's 3D feature turned off. With it turned on, however, the imagery is divided by two for the players individual eyes (30 frames per second to each eye).^[10]

Characters

Dimensions features a roster of up to 26 playable characters. In the stage based on Metroid: Other M, Ridley appears as a stage hazard while Samus Aran appears at the end of the match; Samus is not a playable character in the game, but only makes a cameo appearance to help the fighters.^[11][12] The list of characters are given below, the unlockable characters being marked with an asterisk.

Plot

Dead or Alive: Dimensions plot spans the first four main games in the Dead or Alive series. In the prologue, set before the first game, Kasumi is confronted by her father and current leader of the Mugen Tenshin ninja clan, Shiden, about her skills as he plans to make her his next heir. Later, the exiled ninja Raidou attacks the village, beating Ayane and defeating Hayate, who falls into a coma. Upon learning this, Kasumi decided to run away from the village to take revenge on Raidou for Hayate, even though it meant she would be a fugitive and likely to be killed by her own clan. Kasumi is quickly stopped by Ayane, who was order to track her down and kill her, but Christie appears in a helicopter and saves Kasumi. Although Kasumi did not know the woman, she went with Christie to safety. Heading towards Helena Douglas' cruise ship Freedom Survivor, Kasumi is introduced to both Christie and Bayman and is told about the DOA tournament, with Raidou being there. Kasumi encounters Ayane, now a contestant, and both meet Raidou with Fame Douglas, the head of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC). After Kasumi fights her way and manages to reach the final round, she faces against Raidou and defeats him, but then he reawakens more powerful than before. Kasumi uses her magic against him, and with help from Ryu Hayabusa, she finally kills Raidou. However, she gets kidnapped by DOATEC, which prompts Ryu to save her. That same night, Douglas is assassinated by Bayman under the order of Victor Donovan, and although he is successful, Christie leaves him behind as she returns to DOATEC headquarters.

Hayate, still in a coma, is abducted from the village by Kasumi Alpha. Ayane is told by Genra about the return of Tengu and sent to search for Ryu in Europe. After the death of her father Fame, and her mother Maria, Helena appears on Freedom Survivor and takes over the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee and announces the second DOA tournament, with herself participating as a competitor. Ryu hears that Kasumi is in DOATEC Germany and goes there. In DOATEC's facility in Germany, where Kasumi is indeed being held, Alpha sneaks Kasumi out of her cell. As the facility burns down, Ryu saves Kasumi and takes her to safety, while Lisa Hamilton and Alpha make their escape with Hayate and place him in one of the helicopters, which gets hit and crashes. In the forest, Ryu and his friend, Irene Lew, learn that Hayate was human experimented on in genetics research in the facality and Kasumi runs off to find him. In another part of the forest, Hitomi is training when Hayate, who survived the crash, stumbles into her and collapses. As he battles through the tournament, Ryu encounters Hayate, who is now going by the name of "Ein" and suffering from amnesia. Later, Ryu tracks down Tengu and kills him. Ein arrives at Miyama and tries to remember why he knows the place. After defeating Kasumi in battle and knocking her out, Hayate regained his memories, but Genra reveals that he allowed Tengu to pass into the human world and escapes, leaving a brainwashed Ayane and Kasumi Alpha to fight Ryu and Hayate. Ryu, along with Irene, explain to Hayate that Genra may have been involved with DOATEC, and although Ayane returns to normal, both Kasumi and Alpha disappear.

During the third tournament, Helena hires Bayman to protect her and kill Donovan. Christie, posing as Helena's assistant, attempts to assassinate her but is caught and restrained by Bayman. Alpha over-hears that Helena wants Donovan dead and attacks her, but Helena manages to defeat her. With Genra turned traitor, Hayate requests to his father that he should hunt him down, making Shiden believe Hayate is ready to take over as the leader of the clan instead of Kasumi. Hayate wants to bring Kasumi home first, but Ayane speaks against it, calling Kasumi a traitor, which enrages Hayate and makes him slap her. Thinking that Hayate now hates her, Ayane attempts suicide, but is found by her mother, Ayame. Ayane is upset believing Hayate only cares about Kasumi, but Ayame reminded her that all four of them are family and asks Ayane to save Kasumi. Hayate and Ayane join the third tournament to track down Genra. While on Freedom Survivour, Hayate meets up Hitomi again since his departure when he was Ein, and Hayate tells Hitomi the truth about his ninja identity, much to her surprise. During the tournament, Hayate meets with Helena, who recognises him as the subject of Project Epsilon. Hayate demands she tells him why Genra joined DOATEC, but she claimed she does not know and both Genra and herself are just puppets of DOATEC. After defeating Helena in battle, he tells her that she should leave DOATEC. Later, Hayate and Ayane meet up with Ryu and Irene, but Irene gets kidnapped by Christie. Ryu runs off to save her, while Hayate and Ayane are confronted by Genra, who he transformed into his Omega form. When Ryu realises that Christie was just a decoy, he returns to aid them, and runs Genra through with his Dragon Sword, giving time for Ayane and Hayate to perform a duel magic attack that strikes Genra before he could regenerate, killing him. When they return to the village, Ayane watches Genra's body cremated as she walks away in tears.

After Helena became head leader of DOATEC, Donovan discusses with her the biological weapon cloning project, Project Alpha. With the fourth tournament on the way, Hayate and his clan are planning an attack on DOATEC's main headquarters, the TriTower. Fearing the worst, Kasumi finds her brother and tries to convince him not to start a war, but the plea falls on deaf ears. One night, Hayate, Ayane, and Ryu attacks the TriTower with Irene and the CIA aiding them. At the same time, Kasumi infiltrates the TriTower and confronts Helena, pleading with her to stop, but Helena replied that the ninja would stop at nothing to destroy DOATEC, and the final product of Project Alpha, Alpha-152. Helena attempts to shoot Kasumi, who is saved by Ryu. While Kasumi makes her way to fight an awakened Alpha-152, Hayate and Ayane use their magic to destroy the TriTower, only to have to face Alpha-152 themselves. With the TriTower in flames, Helena faces Christie one last time, and learns that it was actually her who killed Maria. After finding out the truth, Helena sets of the building's self-destruction and plans to end her own life, with Kasumi and Ayane watching from afar. However, she is saved by Zack, who sweeps in by helicopter and pulls her to safety. The final scene shows Donovan taking off his white mask, and putting on Genra's mask.

Development and release

Dead or Alive: Dimensions was first revealed as an official title on June 15, 2010 at E3 under the working title Dead or Alive 3D.^[13] Dimensions is the fourth Dead or Alive game to feature English voice overs;^[14] most of voice actors have been recast. Yosuke Hayashi took over as the director and producer following the departure of the series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki.

DOAD was scheduled for release at the Nintendo 3DS launch on February 26, 2011. However, due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, the release was pushed back by two months. It was eventually released on May 19 in Japan (by Tecmo Koei), on May 20 in Europe (by Nintendo), on May 24 in North America (by Tecmo Koei), and on May 26 in Australia (by Nintendo).

Reception

Reviews

Dead or Alive: Dimensions had consistently favourable reviews. It earned aggregated scores of 82.02% at GameRankings^[15] and 79/100 at Metacritic.^[16]

Nintendo Power review praised the "top-notch" cutscenes and the "fast and furious as ever" gameplay, but warned against the 3D effect, as well as having problems with the Tag Mode feature.^[22] According to VideoGamer.com, "the Street Pass feature is nice and the controls work well, but the framerate suffers online, and the Chronicle Mode is a narrative mess."^[23] GameZone opined that "loads of modes, plenty of unlockable extra goodies, and a very functional multiplayer make Dimensions a series that not only fans must buy, but any gamer with even the slightest itch for a quality portable fighting game. If you’ve been waiting for the next must-buy 3DS title, this is it, folks."^[24]

Controversy

Due to a Swedish controversy, Dead or Alive: Dimensions is not being sold in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.^[25] The concerns were raised when an internet forum user commented that three underage characters in the game could be viewed from angles that could be considered lascivious.^[26]

Concerns in relation to the game also rose in Australia, when certain media outlets criticized the PG rating for the game.^[27] After careful consideration, the Australian Classification Board came to the conclusion that it was not given sufficient information at the time to give it a correct classification. The game's PG rating was subsequently revoked. Nintendo has then resubmitted the game with a more detailed analysis of the game's content. The game was subsequently given the next rating after PG, the M rating, which allows any age to still purchase the game, but is recommended for more mature audiences.^[28][29]

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website (Japanese)