Dead or Alive

"A Great Start to the Series"

If took me a while to finally purchase the original copy of Dead or Alive for the Saturn, and it is remarkable to see where the series that has tried to be the Mortal Kombat of the last 10 years or so. This is a very fun little game, that seems like an updated Virtua Fighter, its that similar. Game play will tell you a bit more.

Game play: 9/10

This game plays almost identically to Virtua Fighter, and looks quite a bit like a cross between Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2. This game does have one major element that the Virtua Fighters do not have, the counter ability. Pressing the counter button (known as the, "hold," button) in conjunction with a direction will counter the move, and your character will put some major hurt on the opponent. Other than the aforementioned counter button, again the game plays like Virtua Fighter (albeit, a bit faster); square rings, grappling, punch and kick, just a normal first gen 3-D fighting game. An added benefit is a Dead or Alive staple; modes. This game has all the same modes that its successor had (Training mode in this game is known as Kumite mode), and that makes for some good game play. Story will be next.

Story: 7/10

The Dead or Alive fighting tournament has been hosted in order to see who is the top fighter. Each character has their own motives and what not (ie: Tina wants to become a singer), and there are quite a few characters, thus the story is built up nicely as your play the game. Graphics will be looked at next.

Graphics: 9/10

This game looks virtually identical to Virtua Fighter 2, in that the characters are nice and smooth looking, with facial features and such, and nice bright backgrounds (though not nearly as detailed as Virtua Fighter 2). Yes to all those who are wondering, the jiggling is all there, in every detail, and all of the other characters look just as good as the ladies. Sounds will be covered next.

Sounds: 8/10

Great sounds in-game, unique to the game and not borrowed from the likes of Virtua Fighter, or Tekken. The music is also good to listen to, though the music is not like the powerhouse music that both Tekken and Virtua Fighter had at the time. Is Dead or Alive replay-able?

Replay ability: 7/10

Aside from some of the extra modes and such, this game is no better replay-wise than Virtua Fighter or Virtua Fighter 2. Though this is still a great game, it doesn't last the way a Virtua Fighter, or a Virtua Fighter 2 would. Still...

Buy or rent?

Chances are that unless you are in Japan, you will probably not be able to rent this, so go ahead and buy it.

This is a very good game, one of the best fighters on the Saturn. Like Anarchy in the Nippon, being a Japanese only release on the Saturn really hindered this game, which deserves to be played. And it has all the awesomeness in the girls that the other installments have, so why wouldn't you get it?

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/03/08

Game Release: Dead or Alive (JP, 10/09/97)