[XBOX] DOA ultimate

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Tecmo made a big splash with its Dead or Alive Ultimate trailer at the Microsoft press conference. Developed by Team Ninja, makers of the ridiculously outstanding Ninja Gaiden, the game takes the first two Dead or Alive titles, adds all new environments, a novel online setup, a higher degree of interactivity in its levels, new movies, new costumes, and more. The total package is looking incredibly sweet and wholeheartedly deserves the "ultimate" label.

The first Dead or Alive game, which wasn't released in American arcades, will be a pixel-perfect recreation of the original. The second however, gets an extreme makeover. As expected from a Team Ninja project, the game is totally Zoolander. That is to say, "Gee, this game is ridiculously good looking." Every aspect of the graphics shown was stellar. Contrary to the rumors floating around, the game will run at 60 frames per second, online and offline.


New levels were created from scratch for the ultimate version of DOA2. They're extremely intricate and have several nuances for players to discover. There are different tiers to these levels and several interactive objects in the environment. In the trailer, Tina was shown flinging her foe into a nearby elephant. Another highlight was Zak jumping on his enemy's back and riding him down a snowy hill. These types of moves are specific to each level and are a trip to watch.

Both games will be available online. The developer's goal here was to create virtual arcade machines for online gamers to play with. Up to eight players can hop on a virtual cabinet. There are several modes to online play. The standard has the winner stay on, while the losers get in line to play. Survival Mode has a fighter take on as many opponent's as possible before dying. When the other six players are waiting their turn, they can observe the match, change the audience, and act as a peanut gallery with a headset. Competing in fighting games is fun, but it'll be even cooler with six hecklers.

I was lucky enough to catch the new opening sequence of Dead or Alive Ultimate. As expected it was freaking gorgeous. Since Kasumi was the main character of the first two games and Ayane was the main character of the third, the narrative focused on their relationship. While I wasn't able to understand the dialogue, I inferred much of the story. The movie starts with young versions of Kasumi and Ayane playing in a stream and trying to catch fish. The two are innocently adorable and having lots of fun, when Kasumi's relatives take her away, forbidding her to play with Ayane. Originally I thought it had something to do with class, but later on it seems Ayane's origins are somewhat dishonorable. As the two characters grow up, a love triangle forms with the two and a young boy. Eventually, a villain comes to town. Ayane attacks him only to be rebuffed. The boy tries next and suffers a fatal injury. The events in the movie help explain why the two characters have a deep hatred for each other.

All told, this game is looking phenomenal. There's tons of gameplay, a cool online mode, more background information on the characters, and all new levels. Dead or Alive Ultimate is going to be another slick Team Ninja effort.

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Tecmo's Tomonobu Itagaki is never at a loss for words. He's one of the most quotable developers from Japan and isn't afraid to voice his opinion on the competition -- a rarity among Japanese developers. Thankfully for him (and perhaps a bit unfortunate for the competition), Itagaki's bravado is exceeded by his talents. After heading up the Dead or Alive franchise and most recently, delivering the incredible Ninja Gaiden for Xbox, he's gearing up to release Dead or Alive Ultimate. Here are some of his thoughts on the game.

On DOA Ultimate's levels:

"I did not reuse anything from the previous games. Of course I kept some familiar stages from the previous version, but I totally built them again from scratch. The new stages are obviously completely new. It takes the team about six months to create a new stage. Whether it's a brand new stage or a recreation of a familiar stage, they both take six months. The reason it takes so long to recreate the old stages is that I really want to maintain the tradition, look, and feel of the original."


On the new interactive moves:

"In DOA Ultimate, there are a lot more element-of-surprise moves, visually I mean, like when Tina throws Leon into the elephant. This is one of the reasons I have so much fun making games -- by surprising and delivering enjoyment to the player."

On why he chose to redo DOA:

"A couple of days ago I had a conversation with the president of Sega. We talked about the fact that we can bring new games, new ideas, and new concepts to the market, but as a developer it's really important to maintain the tradition, maintain what we already have, and brush up on it. There aren't many ideas or concepts that we don't already have."

On DOA Ultimate's online play:

"Our online technology is pretty advanced and I really believe that DOA Ultimate will have the best graphics out of all the online games out there. I doubt that anyone else can surpass this quality. Latency will be no problem. We've been working on this for four years."

On frame rate rumors:


"I think there's a rumor out there that the online frame rate is down to 30 frames per second. That's not true. It is 60. If any DOA game ever runs at 30 frames per second, it'll be a shame. At that time I will leave the company…if that ever happens."

On DOA 4:

"As you know, the main character of DOA and DOA 2 is Kasumi, and the main character of DOA 3 is Ayane. The main character of DOA 4 will be someone else -- of course from the characters we already know."

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DOA Ultimate is set to release this fall the game will come as a two disc set with “enhanced” versions of Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2. For a limited time after release, DOA Ultimate will come with trading cards, character artwork and information on some of the game’s special moves. Jam packed with updated gameplay, visuals, moves, modes and scantily clad women, Dead or Alive Ultimate looks to be just that…the ultimate console fighter gamers have yet to see on their beloved Xbox.

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It is hard to believe that Mortal Kombat: Deception won’t totally blow away DA and most of the other fighting games after it is released. From our experiences, the game is better in every way as compared to its predecessor, and this isn’t even taking into account the online play! Even though online multiplayer was the landmark feature of Deception, it is quite apparent after the E3 build that the game should be considered special for many more reasons. The final product of the Konquest mode will mean a lot in the long run since most who had some time with it were left feeling a little empty. We are sure Konquest will come across as good as the rest of the production when it is time for Mortal Kombat: Deception’s release. Stay tuned for more coverage on Mortal Kombat: Deception as the game moves feverishly towards its release date.

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When you select Dead or Alive Online, you're asked to choose a username (independent of your Xbox Live gamer tag) that will become your handle when fighting in the game. Once you've picked out your name, you'll find yourself at the main menu screen in DOAU, which features the standard selection of Xbox Live modes: quick match, optimatch, and create a match. You'll also see an option to manage your friends list, change online options, and check out the world rankings for the game (which is sure to be a humbling experience).


The ability to cheer--or jeer--players in online matches will bring an intimate arcade feel to DOAU's Xbox Live play.

When you go to create a match, you'll get a taste of the game's impressive array of modes and customization options. After you decide if you want to play old-school DOA or modernize things with DOA2, you'll find seven modes to choose from: a standard one-on-one fight, tournament, team battle, survival, loser stays, and kumite. You'll also see a "vote" option that lets the players logged into your session vote on which of the modes they'll want to play. After you select a mode, you'll choose a battle type--single or tag. From there you'll go through and set round time (30 to 99 seconds), match points (two to five), and life-gauge size (normal to largest).

Before you start, you'll also set options that affect your overall session. You'll be able to set the number of players able to join your session (three to eight) and, in a nice bit of customization, how many of those slots will be reserved for people on your friends list, thus ensuring the freak content of your games is nil. You'll set the grade level of players you want to compete with (more on that in a second) as well as language (English only or any other language) and online talk options (on or off).

Now, about your grades. As we mentioned earlier, DOAU will feature a UPS file that tracks data on everything you do in the game. As you play through DOAU, you'll start to earn a grade level (E, D, C, B, A, S, SS) based on how you do. Your grade will serve to identify your skill level, branding you as everything from noob to badass extraordinaire, and it'll give you a way to find players to compete against that are at your level of expertise.

We had the chance to see how the whole shebang works, online and off, at Team Ninja's offices, and we're happy to report that DOAU is one sick little package. The offline versions of DOA and DOA2 played identically to their historical counterparts. DOA2's new stages looked great and featured their own little quirks to give them some unique personality. For example, the rope bridge stage lets you knock your foe off the side and to the ground, while the African plains backdrop features the cast of The Lion King milling about for you to bash your opponents into. However, as cool as the offline stuff was, let's be honest: We were there to play online.



Using a work-in-progress version of the game, we set up a session with four other members of Team Ninja (a few shy of the game's maximum) and set out to try out the various modes. We were surprised at how well the game handled, even in its incomplete state. After all these years of hearing about how impossible it would be to do a 3D fighter online, we were finally starting to believe all the nay-saying. Thankfully, DOAU has shown us the truth: You can have your 3D cake and eat it online without much trouble. The game moved along at a zippy clip and only hiccuped briefly during two matches. The Xbox Live chat worked well and, language barriers aside, helped give the battles a nice sense of immediacy.



The way DOAU's online matches unfold is pretty straightforward. The matches will cycle through whatever options you've set up for a game, and once the mode has run its course you'll be brought back to the main screen with your group, at which point you all can chat about what to do next or just jump right into a new brawl. When we weren't fighting, we were just watching the action unfold; it was nice to be able to manipulate the camera using the analog sticks and shoulder buttons to alter the angle or zoom in while the battle raged. On a less-tangible note, we have to say the watch mode is a great addition, as it will give players a chance to see how their opponents fight, and they can maybe even learn a new trick or two. Really, the only thing missing here is an onscreen quarter to let folks know they're being called out.

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From what we've seen so far, the graphics in DOA Ultimate range from good to outstanding. The original Dead or Alive falls squarely in the "good" category, with the Xbox capably pumping out an excellent conversion of the 32-bit original without breaking a sweat. Back in the day, the original Saturn DOA was easily comparable to Sega's own stellar port of Virtua Fighter 2, and it packed a serious visual punch.


DOAU features both returning and original backdrops in DOA2, and they're downright gorgeous.

To be fair, the game still holds up reasonably well. Granted, the textures aren't the prettiest things you'll ever see, but they get the job done, and the frame rate is also good and solid. One thing to note is that the game now features "blink and you missed it" load times that let you zip to your next fight in a flash, which is nice.



On the "outstanding" graphical front we have the new and improved Dead or Alive 2, which takes the still-impressive original and gives it a hefty makeover. Thanks to the use of the next generation of the Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball engine, the game's visuals have been bumped up considerably. The end result is gorgeous, high-polygon character models, massive, detailed environments, and slick special effects thrown in to give the arenas life. For example, you'll see swirls of falling cherry blossoms and snowflakes, dramatic lighting effects, reflective surfaces, and all manner of little touches thrown into the visual mix that give everything a nice layer of polish.



Put simply, Dead or Alive 2 never looked so good. The inclusion of the new stages, which feature just as much detail as the original DOA2 stages, is a welcome feature that helps to further showcase the outstanding graphics engine. As far as performance goes, DOA2 runs fast and smooth with nary a hitch to be observed in our playtime. When playing online with Team Ninja, we noticed minor hiccups every once in a while, but the team is confident these glitches can be ironed out to ensure that DOAU runs as smoothly online as it does offline.



The audio in the game features all the voice, music, and effects fans of the series have come to know and love. All the characters will utter a chunk of phrases to taunt their opponents, gloat over their victory, or mourn their defeat. They'll also let out an array of cries as they fight. The tunes featured in the game will be a mix of classic tracks from the games and a few new songs thrown into the mix to liven things up. A collection of satisfying collisions and assorted blows do a fine job of punctuating the fights, and the game's excellent Dolby 5.1 support helps sell the whole ass-kicking experience by putting you right in the middle of the action.

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To say that we were impressed by what we saw of Dead or Alive Ultimate would be an understatement--our expectations going into the meeting were met, and then some. Team Ninja's approach toward taking the game online is incredibly smart. The ability to pull together a group of folks to play against and to watch is just awesome. The group experience offered by DOAU is probably the closest thing today's gamers are going to have to the arcade experience many of us grew up with when Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, and Tekken machines drew mobs of quarter-bearing aspirants.

Dead or Alive Ultimate is looking like the total online fighting package. The selection of play modes to choose from offers a great variety, and the ability to customize every aspect of your online experience is a much-appreciated extra. If you've been patiently waiting for an online 3D fighter for the Xbox, Dead or Alive Ultimate is likely to be the answer to your prayers. You can pick up DOAU, exclusively for the Xbox, this October. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

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Op maandag 12 juli 2004 18:52 schreef PBateman1978 het volgende:
0,0 interesse in...

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Op maandag 12 juli 2004 20:09 schreef piet_pelle het volgende:
Lijkt me ook geen flikker aan, het spel is nooit een van de beste geweest en dit wordt gewoon een remake.

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Op zaterdag 19 februari 2005 19:28 schreef roxny het volgende:
ik heb hem ook... maaruh.... zit er nou eigelijk wel een verhaal in het spel???!!??? je verslaat 8 lui en je krijgt een nieuw pakje... and that's it?

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Op zondag 27 februari 2005 22:44 schreef Cerbie het volgende:
Pst.. Deel 2.. Dreamcast..

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Op zondag 27 februari 2005 22:59 schreef Sharkdoggie het volgende:
Een statue van DoA (van Kasumi) maar die is echt overdreven en dan ook niet meer mooi. Duidelijk bedoeld voor japanners.

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Op zondag 27 februari 2005 23:03 schreef Sharkdoggie het volgende:
Misschien is het toeval maar zou hierna DoA Trilogy komen? Het doet me denken aan de MK serie, daar kwam MK3 uit, toen Ultimate en vervolgens Trilogy. Niet dat ik het heel erg zou vinden, maar ik zou het wel verdacht vinden.

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IGN Xbox: We know about a number of Team Ninja projects in the works (Code Cronus, DOA 4, Ninja Gaiden 2). What order can we expect them in? Which is next?

Itagaki: DOA 4 is the main project for now. Without DOA4, there will be no Ninja Gaiden2, DOAX2 or Cronus.

IGN Xbox: What aspects of the Dead or Alive series do you want to change? In other words, what can we expect from DOA 4?

Itagaki: Increased soothing sensation. Sensation for the intellect and visual sense.

IGN Xbox: Some people love the reversal system, others aren't big fans. Will reversals be changed at all in DOA 4?

Itagaki: DOA is made for people who love DOA. This is my answer.

IGN Xbox: You've introduced new characters in both DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball and Ninja Gaiden. Any chance that these characters will appear in DOA 4?

Itagaki: Anything is possible. I just came out of a planning meeting where we talked about this exact issue.

IGN Xbox: DOA 2 had in-game cut-scenes for endings and DOA 3 had some awesome CG movie endings. Which will we get for DOA 4?

Itagaki: I'm going to make a pre-rendered ending movie. It's going to be really good. I'll be in China next month to photograph some locations for Lei Fang's ending CG.

IGN Xbox: How will the arenas differ in DOA 4? Will they be larger? More interactive? Will they affect a fight even more than they do now?

Itagaki: Of course, more interactive environments. This is our main theme. Not only [will] the reaction be different, but the action itself will be different.

IGN Xbox: Ever since DOA 2, we've been begging for four-player action, with four characters in one arena at the same time. Will DOA 4 answer our prayers?

Itagaki: I would love to do that!

IGN Xbox: One of the great aspects of DOA 2 and DOA Ultimate were all of the unlockable costumes. DOA 3 didn't really have any unlockables. Will DOA 4 feature a lot of unlockables? Will they just be costumes or other things? And can you maybe give us an estimate on how many costumes and arenas to expect this time out?

Itagaki: As you're expecting...

IGN Xbox: When will we get our first look at DOA 4?

Itagaki: When it's most effective for many reasons.

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Op dinsdag 1 maart 2005 16:38 schreef McLaren het volgende:
Zo bedoel ik dat niet. En zal vast een heel arsenaal aan moves inzitten.

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Maar de filmpjes die ik gezien heb lopen ze (reviewers waarschijnlijk) een beetje op elkaar te in meppen zonder echt veel na te denken.

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Geen taktiek, geen blokken... het is een beetje moeilijk uit te leggen

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Is de DOAU net zo diepgaand als bv. Soul Calibur 2?

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Ik zou niet weten waar ik DOAU zou moeten spelen, ik koop altijd een game zonder gespeeld te hebben

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Op zaterdag 19 maart 2005 00:19 schreef Gamedemon het volgende:

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jij unlocked ze dus niet op de makkelijker manier
gewoon alle items in survival unlocken en je hebt alle costumes

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Op vrijdag 18 maart 2005 18:51 schreef rockstah het volgende:
Online vind ik trouwens niet zo heel veel aan. Je hebt overal van die Winner-Stays potjes waarin er één kerel met rank S/SS zit die altijd dezelfde mensen kiest (meestal Ein, Hayabusa/Jann Lee, Hayabusa) en altijd maar blijft winnen. 'T is misschien leuker met mensen die het wél gewoon voor hun lol spelen, maar die kom je maar zelden tegen.

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Op vrijdag 25 maart 2005 22:40 schreef rijkv het volgende:

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jah, maar ze zwiept de hele tijd rond, ik kan die bitch amper onder controle houden.

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Op zaterdag 26 maart 2005 10:41 schreef R-Mon het volgende:

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Story op normal met Ein uitspelen.

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Op zaterdag 26 maart 2005 13:13 schreef rijkv het volgende:

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Ik vind het een gekke bitch.

Ik word bash de buttons op spastische wijze omdat ik steeds een zenuwaanval krijg van dat achterlijke paarse haar.

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Op donderdag 7 april 2005 17:44 schreef R-Mon het volgende:

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Hier wil ik nog wat aan toevoegen. Voor dat boven + P + K gebruik ik altijd boven + wit, veel makkelijker. Jann Lee heeft er nog een hele leuke down attack bij, namelijk boven + zwart. In deel drie konden Tina en Bass ook downgrijpen, erg leuk om te doen.

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Op donderdag 7 april 2005 17:44 schreef R-Mon het volgende:

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Hier wil ik nog wat aan toevoegen. Voor dat boven + P + K gebruik ik altijd boven + wit, veel makkelijker. Jann Lee heeft er nog een hele leuke down attack bij, namelijk boven + zwart. In deel drie konden Tina en Bass ook downgrijpen, erg leuk om te doen.