Dead or Alive (video game)
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is a 1996 fighting game by
Tecmo , was a Japanese video game corporation founded in 1967. It had its headquarters in Kudankita, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its subsidiary, Tecmo Inc, was located in Torrance, California. Tecmo was formerly known as Tehkan. Tecmo is known for the ''Captain ...
and the first entry in
Team Ninja is a Japanese video game developer, and a division of Koei Tecmo, founded in 1995 as a part of Tecmo. It is founded and formerly led by Tomonobu Itagaki, later by Yosuke Hayashi, and is best known for the ''Ninja Gaiden'' action-adventure gam ...
's long-running '' Dead or Alive'' series. It was released first in arcades, followed by home ports for the Sega Saturn in Japan, and later for the PlayStation in all regions. Capitalizing on the success of Sega's ''
Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega-AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original '' Virtua Fighter'' was released in October 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential first ''Virtua Fighter'' ga ...
'' fighting game series at the time, ''Dead or Alive'' takes influence from ''Virtua Fighter'' while adding unique gameplay elements of its own. The game was well-praised for its fighting system and advanced graphics. The game also attracted attention for its presentation, which was more provocative than other mainstream 3D fighting games at the time. ''Dead or Alive'' was a commercial success, helping Tecmo overcome their financial problems. The success of the game helped turn the series into a franchise, including several sequels and numerous spinoffs. The game was followed by '' Dead or Alive 2'' in 1999.


Gameplay

The
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pl ...
of ''Dead or Alive'' borrows from ''
Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega-AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original '' Virtua Fighter'' was released in October 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential first ''Virtua Fighter'' ga ...
'', but makes some key changes that changes the way ''Dead or Alive'' is played in comparison to ''Virtua Fighter''. Unlike other fighting games of the time, in place of a "Guard" button, ''Dead or Alive'' uses a "Hold" button, which causes the fighter to grab their opponent's limbs if they are attacking at the time. This Countering system was the first in the fighting genre to utilize different commands that correspond to each type of attack. There are two kinds of holds, an Offensive Hold and a Defensive Hold; the latter are executed by holding back or forward on the directional pad along with the guard input to either force away or counter-damage an opponent. The outer edges of the fighting arena, called "Danger Zones", are set with explosives which deal a high amount of damage to any fighter who comes in contact with them. They can also send an affected character in the air so the opposing player can execute a juggling air
combo Combo may refer to: Technology *Combo television unit, a television with either a VCR or a DVD player built into a single unit * Combo drive, a type of optical drive that can read CDs and DVDs *A guitar amplifier incorporating one or more loudsp ...
. However, this can be avoided with a defensive roll.


Characters

*
Bayman The following is a list of characters from the '' Dead or Alive'' video game series, created by Tecmo and Team Ninja. Characters Main series Spin-off series ''Xtreme ''series Introduced in ''Dead or Alive'' Ayane Bass Armstrong Voi ...
, a Russian mercenary and
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hired to kill DOATEC's founder and CEO, Fame Douglas. *
Gen Fu The following is a list of characters from the '' Dead or Alive'' video game series, created by Tecmo and Team Ninja. Characters Main series Spin-off series ''Xtreme ''series Introduced in ''Dead or Alive'' Ayane Bass Armstrong Voi ...
, an old Chinese shini-rokugo-ken martial arts master and bookstore owner, who enters the tournament to win the prize money in order to provide funds for his sick granddaughter, Mei Linn. * Jann Lee, a Chinese
jeet kune do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune Do ...
martial artist, who enters the tournament to test his skills against powerful opponents. His character is modeled on Bruce Lee. *
Kasumi Kasumi may refer to: Places * Kasumi, Hyōgo (香住), a former town in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Kasumigaseki (霞が関 "Gate of Mist"), a district in downtown Tokyo * Kasumi, Jajce, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina Other uses * Kasumi (gi ...
, a Japanese
kunoichi is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...
of the Mugen Tenshin
Ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 2 ...
Clan, who abandons her village to search for Raidou, the man who crippled her brother, Hayate. * Leifang, a young Chinese taikyoku-ken prodigy, who enters the tournament to defeat Jann Lee. * Raidou (unlockable), an evil ninja exiled from Kasumi's clan. * Ryu Hayabusa, a Japanese ninja hero of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan and best friend of Kasumi's brother. He enters the tournament to fulfill his thirst for challenge. He is originally from ''
Ninja Gaiden is a series of action video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American ''Ninja Gaiden'' title means "side story" in Japanese. The o ...
''. *
Tina Armstrong is a player character in the ''Dead or Alive (franchise), Dead or Alive'' fighting game franchise by Team Ninja and Tecmo (Koei Tecmo). She was introduced in the original ''Dead or Alive (video game), Dead or Alive'' in 1996 as an American Profe ...
, a flamboyant American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, who enters the tournament to be noticed by Hollywood. * Zack, a flamboyant African-American DJ and kickboxer, who enters the tournament to win the prize money. Added in the PlayStation and ''Arcade++'' versions are Kasumi's half-sister
Ayane Ayane (/aˈjaˌnɛ/) is the romanization of a feminine Japanese given name. Literally translated it means "colorful sound" (彩音 or 綺音). * or Junko Hirata, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese television personality *, Japanese badminton ...
and Tina's father Bass Armstrong. *
Ayane Ayane (/aˈjaˌnɛ/) is the romanization of a feminine Japanese given name. Literally translated it means "colorful sound" (彩音 or 綺音). * or Junko Hirata, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese television personality *, Japanese badminton ...
, a Japanese kunoichi from the same clan as Kasumi. Ayane was ordered to kill Kasumi for abandoning their village. * Bass Armstrong, an American professional wrestling champion and father of Tina. He tries to stop Tina from being noticed by Hollywood.


Plot

A massive corporation known as DOATEC (Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee) host a fighting competition called the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship, where fighters from all over the world can compete for the title as world champion and a vast amount of money. A runaway
kunoichi is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...
known as
Kasumi Kasumi may refer to: Places * Kasumi, Hyōgo (香住), a former town in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Kasumigaseki (霞が関 "Gate of Mist"), a district in downtown Tokyo * Kasumi, Jajce, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina Other uses * Kasumi (gi ...
enters the Dead or Alive tournament to seek revenge against her uncle Raidou, who was responsible for crippling her brother, Hayate. Kasumi's brother, Hayate, was next in line to succeed their father, Shiden, as the 18th leader of the Mugen Tenshin
Ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 2 ...
Clan. After Hayate was crippled by Raidou, Shiden was left bitter from what Raidou did to his son, and Shiden refused to discuss the details surrounding the attack. Shiden ordered his daughter, Kasumi, to take her brother's place as the next leader of their clan. However, Kasumi abandoned the village. Learning that her evil uncle was her brother's attacker, Kasumi tracks him down to the Dead or Alive tournament where she enters to defeat him. Kasumi eventually defeats and kills Raidou, but her decision to leave her village without permission violates the strict laws of the ninja society and is punishable by death. As a result, she becomes a hunted fugitive.


Development and release

During the mid 1990s, Japanese gaming company
Tecmo , was a Japanese video game corporation founded in 1967. It had its headquarters in Kudankita, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its subsidiary, Tecmo Inc, was located in Torrance, California. Tecmo was formerly known as Tehkan. Tecmo is known for the ''Captain ...
was in financial trouble. Seeing how popular Sega's ''
Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega-AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original '' Virtua Fighter'' was released in October 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential first ''Virtua Fighter'' ga ...
'' series was in Japan at the time, the management asked
Tomonobu Itagaki (born April 1, 1967) is a Japanese video game designer best known for creating the '' Dead or Alive'' series and also reviving the ''Ninja Gaiden'' franchise in 2004. Joining Tecmo in 1992, Itagaki produced two video game franchises that were com ...
to create a game similar to ''Virtua Fighter''. Itagaki was a fan of ''Virtua Fighter'', but he wanted ''Dead or Alive'' to stand out among the competition. This included a stronger emphasis on being provocative, as Itagaki believed entertainment needed both sexuality and violence to truly be entertainment. All the animations in the game were created using motion capture. The original game, which runs on the
Sega Model 2 Sega is a video game developer, publisher, and hardware development company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with multiple offices around the world. The company's involvement in the arcade game industry began as a Japan-based distributor of c ...
arcade board, the same arcade board that ''
Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to 1993's ''Virtua Fighter'' and the second game in the ''Virtua Fighter'' series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released for the arcades in 1994. Ports ...
'' ran on, had polygonal modeled backgrounds. ''Dead or Alive'' was unveiled alongside Jaleco's ''Super GT 24h'' at the February 1996 AOU show as part of Sega's announcement that they were licensing their Model 2 hardware to third-party companies. In comparison to other 3D fighters, such as '' Tekken'' (which gained a substantial market base in Japan and North America), ''DOA'' introduced a countering system unique to the genre and an added emphasis on speed, as well as a rich graphics engine that lacked many
jaggies "Jaggies" is the informal name for artifacts in raster images, most frequently from aliasing, which in turn is often caused by non-linear mixing effects producing high-frequency components, or missing or poor anti-aliasing filtering prior to samp ...
and incorporated very smooth surfaces. A
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
port was rumored, but did not come to fruition. ''Dead or Alive'' was instead ported to the Sega Saturn exclusively for the Japanese market in 1997. Acclaim intended to bring the Saturn version to the UK by Christmas 1997, but plans were shelved for unknown reasons. When ported to the Saturn, the developers used
Gouraud shading Gouraud shading, named after Henri Gouraud, is an interpolation method used in computer graphics to produce continuous shading of surfaces represented by polygon meshes. In practice, Gouraud shading is most often used to achieve continuous li ...
(a feature not available on Model 2) for the character models to compensate for the Saturn not being able to generate as many polygons as the Model 2 hardware. The Saturn conversion uses
bitmap In computing, a bitmap is a mapping from some domain (for example, a range of integers) to bits. It is also called a bit array or bitmap index. As a noun, the term "bitmap" is very often used to refer to a particular bitmapping application: t ...
s and
parallax scrolling Parallax scrolling is a technique in computer graphics where background images move past the camera more slowly than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth in a 2D scene of distance. The technique grew out of the multiplane camera tec ...
in the same fashion as the Saturn version of ''Virtua Fighter 2''. It also includes a new rendered intro and tournament and training modes. In 1998, Tecmo released ''Dead or Alive'' for the PlayStation in all regions. It was the first game designed for Sega arcade hardware to be ported to the PlayStation. This version included two new characters, a different graphics engine, a slightly revamped fighting engine, new alternate costumes, and new background music. Most of the PlayStation version's development team had worked on the original arcade version. Tecmo also released an upgrade titled ''Dead or Alive++'' for the arcades in Japan which was based on the PlayStation version. This version was based on the PlayStation version with a slightly updated gameplay that was later expanded for the sequel, '' Dead or Alive 2''.


Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Dead or Alive'' on their January 1, 1997 issue as being the most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks. ''Game Machine'' also listed ''Dead or Alive++'' on their November 15, 1998 issue as being the eleventh most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks. Although it was not widely distributed in U.S. arcades, ''Dead or Alive'' was a commercial success, helping Tecmo pull in a profit of 9.2 million dollars in 1996 and saving the company from bankruptcy. The Saturn version would go on to sell more than 161,000 copies in Japan. Upon the game's release in arcades, a '' Next Generation'' reviewer commented, "A fighting game that mimics ''Virtua Fighter 2'' in its look and feel to a frightening degree ... ''Dead or Alive'' boasts smooth control, crisp polygonal graphics, and an attitude that may enable this game to stand on its own despite its familiar origins." He identified the variety of characters and the danger zones as the game's standout features, and said the tough AI forces players to learn more complex moves and strategies. The home versions were successful critically as well. Due to the Saturn version's planned (and eventually aborted) releases in the U.S. and UK, it saw a considerable number of reviews in those two countries. ''
Sega Saturn Magazine ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' was a monthly UK magazine covering the Sega Saturn, a home video game console. It held the official Saturn magazine license for the UK, and some issues included a demo CD created by Sega, ''Sega Flash'', which included ...
'' described ''Dead or Alive'' as "An incredible beat 'em up both technically and visually, even getting close to beating Sega's own-brand VF 'Virtua Fighter''games." '' Computer and Video Games'' called it "an essential buy for import Saturn gamers", while ''Next Generation'' commented, "''Dead or Alive'' is such a polished game that it's surprising to realize this is Tecmo's first 3D fighter." '' GamePro'' lauded it for its vast number of moves and throws, and its fast and intense fights. Praise for the game typically focused on its "hold" mechanic. ''Next Generation'' said this mechanic adds a unique tone to the game and blurs the line between offense and defense during fights, replacing the usual fighting game scenario of one character attacking and the other defending with more of a "push-and-pull" struggle for dominance. ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' editor-in-chief John Davison commented that the requisite "use of a character's weight and inertia blazes a trail for other games to follow." One of his co-reviewers, Dan Hsu, said the system of holds and reversals is the best part of the game. ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' noted that using holds, "you can counter holds and attacks and then reverse counters on top of that, so you sometimes can get an awesome
Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
-style grappling match that goes back and forth three or four times till someone messes up and pays the consequences." The "bouncing breast" feature was widely ridiculed for its exaggerated and prolonged animation, which critics regarded as comical and grotesque rather than appealing. ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' noted that the breasts "wobble up and down like jellies and seem to operate totally independently to the rest of the girl's body", and
Jeff Gerstmann Jeff Gerstmann (born August 1, 1975) is an American video game journalist. Former editorial director of the gaming website ''GameSpot'' and the co-founder/editor of the gaming website ''Giant Bomb'', Gerstmann began working at ''GameSpot'' in t ...
similarly remarked in ''GameSpot'' that "They bounce around like gelatin for no apparent reason." He considered it a relief that the feature can be turned off, describing it as "stupid" and "the very definition of overkill." ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' was not as annoyed, but pointed out that the bouncing breasts "don't actually contribute to the gameplay except to add temporary novelty and libido frustration to the typical gamer." ''Computer and Video Games'' saw the feature as having a campy appeal, finding humor in how "The slightest movement is enough to set them off, swinging and bouncing around in a most comical fashion!" The reviewer compared it unfavorably to the more realistic breast physics in ''
Fighting Vipers ''Fighting Vipers'' (ファイティングバイパーズ'' Faitingu Vaipāzu'') is a 3D fighting video game developed by Sega AM2. It uses the same game engine as AM2's ''Virtua Fighter 2'' but features enclosed arenas and an armor mechanic, and ...
''. A number of reviewers praised the quality of the arcade-to-Saturn conversion, and most applauded this version's high-resolution graphics and detail. However, reviews for the later PlayStation version hailed it as even better, with enhanced graphics and enjoyable new content which adds to the replay value. ''IGN'' went so far as to say that "The Model 2 graphics have ported over to the PlayStation better than they've ever been on the Saturn". (Many of the Saturn's
killer app In marketing terminology, a killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is any computer program or software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware, a video game ...
s were Model 2 ports, including ''Virtua Fighter 2''.) GamesRadar included ''Dead or Alive'' at number 28 in their list of best Sega Saturn games, stating that "the game's high-speed, rock-paper-scissors style of play was a quick hit with arcade players". In 2011, ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' ranked it as the seventh best fighting game of all time.Peter Rubin
The 50 Best Fighting Games of All Time
Complex.com, March 15, 2011


Remake

In 2004, Tecmo released ''Dead or Alive Ultimate,'' a package that featured revamps of the first two ''DOA'' games, on the
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
. The remake of the first game was based on the Sega Saturn version, as it was Itagaki's preferred version. It featured smoother graphics, sound updated from stereo to surround, and adds Xbox Live online gaming. Both ''Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate'' and ''Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate'' were among the first fighting games with online play.


Notes


References


External links


Saturn version official website



''Dead or Alive''
at MobyGames * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dead Or Alive (Arcade Game) 1996 video games 3D fighting games Arcade video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games about ninja Video games about revenge Martial arts video games Motion capture in video games Cancelled Nintendo 64 games Dead or Alive (franchise) video games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games Sega Saturn games Fighting games Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Xbox games Koei Tecmo games