Dead or Alive Ultimate

"Great? Absolutely. Ultimate? Not really..."

Dead or alive ultimate is newest powerhouse fighting game from the geniuses at TECMO. It is actually a remake of Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore with new costumes and online play. It also includes a reprint of Dead or Alive 1. I'll be reviewing both.

GRAPHICS 10/10: You wouldn't expect anything less from team ninja. Everything looks great. The backgrounds have been redone and enhanced. There are also new stages that really show off that X-box power. Every stage has multiple levels for you to explore by slamming your opponents in that general direction. There is no break up or slowdown. Then you have the weather effects which just awe you. There is one stage where you fight in a thunderstorm. It is simply great, and adds that split second of blindness from the lightning. The there is the fight against TENGU whom changes seasons during the fight. I don't know if this has any effect on you other than looking pretty. But it still reminds you of why DOA is the top fighting game.
The animation is smooth and powerful. Only high definition TV's can do this game justice. The girls look gorgeous, although they seem to be getting thinner and thinner with each reincarnation of the series. However, the real detail improvements are shown off on the guys. This time around, you can see the individual muscles on the men. Hayate looks great, Ryu Hayabusa looks even better than he did on Ninja Gaiden. You also get a HUGE amount of costumes for each character. If there is one thing I can find wrong with the graphics is that the same animation was used form DOA2. There are a few new scenes here and there, but the animation is same old, same old. Still good though.

SOUND 8/10: The sound is good, a lot of the same music is re-used with a couple of new songs. You also get more Aerosmith during the CG intro. However, the theme song "EXCITER" is still there for you to unlock. The music is actually very good, but for veterans of DOA2, it will not impress you as you have heard these same songs a million times by now. The voices are the same as in other DOA games. Great voice acting, and fit the characters well.
The soundeffects are good. I wouldn't say they are amazing, they fit nicely although are not too impressive.

GAMEPLAY 7/10: As I mentioned above, this is a remake of DOA2. Which means that a lot of the moves from DOA3 are missing. While there are a couple of new moves that have been added, there are a couple of crucial moves that have been taken out. Unfortunately, it's difficult and somewhat annoying to take a step back in your fighting style because your favorite throw is gone. For example, Tina can no longer throw people that have been knocked down. Ayane no longer has her leaping forward throw. While this is a minor nuisance, it is a nuisance nonetheless.
Online play is actually better than would be expected for a game as big as this. While there is some lag here and there, the online feature does it's job fairly well. Many people say that DOA fighting is pure luck. Having to throw or counter at the right time. While I agree with that, you will soon learn that DOA gameplay can be pushed a lot farther than you have ever thought, as you face human players. It's a whole different ball game, against a human opponent. The features of online play are vast, there are many options and it allows you customise your game to suit your needs. However, it's all the same fighting in the end. You win, you stay. You lose, you move on.
As you may have heard, the countering system has been tweaked and you have to be a little more precise this time around. This change is actually for the better, as it takes away that constant cheap tactic of countering for huge amounts of damage. Overall, the game handles well and is devoid of flaws.

FUNFACTOR 7/10: DOA Ultimate is a great fighting game. Unfortunately, it is a great fighting game from ten years ago. While you will enjoy the game, veterans of DOA2 will no doubt feel a little bit disappointed to find that the game simply has not been changed enough to excite you the way it used to. The online aspect is great for those who have something to prove. Newcomers will enjoy this game for hours on end. The replay value is also high. You unlock more and more costumes as you keep playing and later have access to a CG gallery, hidden characters, and some other goodies. I'm happy to see some of my favorite costumes return. Like the Jan Lee's tuxedo, and the Kasumi ninja outfit. For those who absolutely adore DOA, you will no doubt get your moneys worth with this game as it features many great levels of play. Veterans will feel like, "Been there, done that".

WHY THE LOW SCORE? For veterans of DOA, this game will simply not thrill you as much as DOA2 did back in the day. The combat seems dated, and you have less characters to choose from. One can argue that this is a remake and not much should be expected from it. I couldn't agree more. If you don't expect much from this game, it will satisfy you. DOA "Ultimate" is simply DOA2.5.
Hardcore fighting gamers would do better to save money and buy DOA3 since it offers better fighting and more characters. It's a step backwards and not everyone is going to like it. It just seems to me that a game with ULTIMATE in the title should surpass expectations. This game sadly falls below expectation.

DOA 1 review. (An interesting trip into the past.)

GRAPHICS 5/10: The graphics are good for those times. However, I have had the pleasure of playing the arcade of DOA1. I must say that it was much better than this. Why didn't TECMO simply translate the arcade ROM to the X-box instead of the Saturn version? I really can't tell. You will no doubt be intrigued by this piece of nostalgia, but by itself, it simply is outdated.
SOUND 8/10: For the time, the sounds were ahead of their time. Some of the songs are very catchy and have you humming them long after. Good stuff :)
GAMEPLAY 7/10: Again, if you don't mind taking a step back in your fighting, you will enjoy this. The fighting engine is primitive at best but conveys where this game came from and how far it has come. You can play this Online too. It handles equally well as the game above.
REPLAY 5/10: Hardcore fans will play this thing to the last bit of programing. Normal people will probably give it a whirl every now and then. While there are unlockables, it simply is not that fun. I would rather genuinely be entertained.
OVERALL 5/10:This is an interesting nostalgic trip to take but really doesn't convince me that I'm having fun.

DOA ULTIMATE
OVERALL 8/10: DOA Ultimate is a good collection to have. DOA fans can now enjoy the trilogy on one console. DOA Ultimate is packed with goodies and wins major points for nostalgia and Online play. Newcomers should not fear in buying this as it is the best 3D fighting game. Veterans of DOA2 and DOA1 will no doubt feel slightly underwhelmed by this trip down memory lane. Sure Online fighting is great, but you will always miss the DOA3 crew. DOA Ultimate is a great game but is not truly deserving of the title "Ultimate".

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/30/04