Tomonobu Itagaki's masterpiece is up for another round as the gameplay, graphics, sound and the overall experience is kicked into high gear. Boys and girls, get your controllers or joysticks ready as the already fast-paced brawl gets even crazier!
Gameplay:
Just like the previous entries in the series, DOA Ultimate sticks to it's roots and focuses mainly on it's counter system. The basic layout is almost identical to that of the original DOA2 and 3, and the only real difference you'll notice from them is the increased difficulty in countering attacks. Before, to counter an attack, all you had to do was press away from the foe on the d-pad in the direction the attack was coming from (away for mid-attacks, diagonally up/away for high, and diagonally down/away for low) and press the block button (X) the moment would strike you, to reverse the attack and do some critical damage. In Ultimate, the formula is the same, however, to counter blows, you have to strike the counter command the very instant the attack hits. I might not make it sound too different from the original DOA2 and 3, but the difficulty has increased greatly, making mastering this command is more important than ever. If you show the first sign of ignorance, the enemy will rip you to shreds. Other than the counter-system's increased difficulty, the gameplay is completely identical to DOA3's.
Sound:
Taken straight from DOA2, the musical score rocks and is fitting for the situation (awesome). Just like DOA3, the voice talent was never translated into English so all you're going to hear is in Japanese. Not like it's going to matter anyway, the voice acting is accompanied only by an incredibly lame storyline, which you can skip, so it's not so bad. Overall, I'd give this portion an 8 out of 10. The VA isn't that good, but the musical score will bring you back for more, over and over again.
Graphics:
These bouncy-breasted fighters never looked so good. In fact, they look so good, Ultimate even puts the gorgeous graphics of 3 to shame. I'd have to say DOAU is the second best looking game of the last gen consoles. While it doesn't look quite as nice as Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2), Ultimate give Hideo Kajima's visual masterpiece a run for it's money.
Dead or Alive 1:
While considered more as a bonus "special" disc, Ultimate contains the previously unreleased (in the US) Dead or Alive 1. I too found this second disc more of an add-on, but it's a nice addition to the main game. Trust me, this is not where you'll be spending alot of your time.
Xbox Live:
Like many other Xbox games, DOAU features online compatibility, allowing you to test your skills against that of other players across the globe. In addition to Online Multiplayer, Ultimate is equipped with: Scoreboards, Friends and Voice chat. When playing another user, there are many modes of gameplay to choose from.
Spectator: Spectators are the core of the Virtual Arcade experience. Up to 6 additional DOA Online players can join the fight as Spectators and interact verbally until it is their turn to fight. Each spectator is able to personalize his or her viewpoint of the fight, by using the right thumbstick, and toggle the camera type, with the left trigger, while waiting for his or her turn to enter the main battle.
Winner-Stays (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents to One-on-One fights. The winner stays to fight the next opponent.
Tournament (2-8 Players): Create your own DOA Online Tournaments. Winners advance to the next round until one fighter is declared the champion. Champions of tournaments are rewarded with points based on the number of participants fighting in the tournament.
Team Battle (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents in Tag-Team battles. The winning player's Tag-Team fighters are the champions.
Survival (3-8 Players): Use one life bar to fight against an onslaught of DOA Online opponents until your health is completely depleted. After each battle, some health will be restored to the winner.
Loser-Stays (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents to One-on-One fights. The loser stays to fight the next opponent.
Kumite (2-8 Players): Kumite is a non-stop brawl in which, win or lose, the champion continues to fight all challengers until he or she quits.
Overall, Online gameplay is a very cool addition to the Dead or Alive experience. It's just a shame that online is the only real advancement since the last DOA title.
Special Features (for/with Dead or Alive 3): DOAU is able to interact with any American save file on your Xbox's Hard Disc. If you have a save file of DOA3 on your Xbox, special features can be accessed.
Booster Pack (for 3): After all outfits have been unlocked for every fighter, a icon will appear at the main menu. This link will take you to a section where you can add more costumes for the fighters in DOA3 to your save file of that game. This feature acts as the same booster that was released back in 2001 with DOA3.
Extra Fighter (for Ultimate): To unlock an additional fighter is simply beat story mode (normal difficulty or higher) as Ein with a save file of Dead or Alive 3 or Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball on your Hard Disc to unlock Hitomi (pic 2nd 7, fighter on the left) as a special character.
With 15 fighters, 21 gorgeous,interactive worlds and dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay, Dead or Alive Ultimate -- Double Disc Collector's Edition is a game every Xbox owner should play. It would've been nice to see some real improvements from the last game, but can you really blame Team Ninja for sticking to the formula that works so beautifully? In closing, for those of you who've never played DOA1 or 2 before, you really need to give this game a once-over. However, for anyone who's already played the hell out of the previous versions of 2 (Dreamcast and Playstation 2) or don't think online is enough to give it another go, don't bother. I, personally, think this game is fantastic, and while the graphics and gameplay are deeper, I still found DOA3 to be the more sound investment.
Gameplay:
Just like the previous entries in the series, DOA Ultimate sticks to it's roots and focuses mainly on it's counter system. The basic layout is almost identical to that of the original DOA2 and 3, and the only real difference you'll notice from them is the increased difficulty in countering attacks. Before, to counter an attack, all you had to do was press away from the foe on the d-pad in the direction the attack was coming from (away for mid-attacks, diagonally up/away for high, and diagonally down/away for low) and press the block button (X) the moment would strike you, to reverse the attack and do some critical damage. In Ultimate, the formula is the same, however, to counter blows, you have to strike the counter command the very instant the attack hits. I might not make it sound too different from the original DOA2 and 3, but the difficulty has increased greatly, making mastering this command is more important than ever. If you show the first sign of ignorance, the enemy will rip you to shreds. Other than the counter-system's increased difficulty, the gameplay is completely identical to DOA3's.
Sound:
Taken straight from DOA2, the musical score rocks and is fitting for the situation (awesome). Just like DOA3, the voice talent was never translated into English so all you're going to hear is in Japanese. Not like it's going to matter anyway, the voice acting is accompanied only by an incredibly lame storyline, which you can skip, so it's not so bad. Overall, I'd give this portion an 8 out of 10. The VA isn't that good, but the musical score will bring you back for more, over and over again.
Graphics:
These bouncy-breasted fighters never looked so good. In fact, they look so good, Ultimate even puts the gorgeous graphics of 3 to shame. I'd have to say DOAU is the second best looking game of the last gen consoles. While it doesn't look quite as nice as Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2), Ultimate give Hideo Kajima's visual masterpiece a run for it's money.
Dead or Alive 1:
While considered more as a bonus "special" disc, Ultimate contains the previously unreleased (in the US) Dead or Alive 1. I too found this second disc more of an add-on, but it's a nice addition to the main game. Trust me, this is not where you'll be spending alot of your time.
Xbox Live:
Like many other Xbox games, DOAU features online compatibility, allowing you to test your skills against that of other players across the globe. In addition to Online Multiplayer, Ultimate is equipped with: Scoreboards, Friends and Voice chat. When playing another user, there are many modes of gameplay to choose from.
Spectator: Spectators are the core of the Virtual Arcade experience. Up to 6 additional DOA Online players can join the fight as Spectators and interact verbally until it is their turn to fight. Each spectator is able to personalize his or her viewpoint of the fight, by using the right thumbstick, and toggle the camera type, with the left trigger, while waiting for his or her turn to enter the main battle.
Winner-Stays (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents to One-on-One fights. The winner stays to fight the next opponent.
Tournament (2-8 Players): Create your own DOA Online Tournaments. Winners advance to the next round until one fighter is declared the champion. Champions of tournaments are rewarded with points based on the number of participants fighting in the tournament.
Team Battle (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents in Tag-Team battles. The winning player's Tag-Team fighters are the champions.
Survival (3-8 Players): Use one life bar to fight against an onslaught of DOA Online opponents until your health is completely depleted. After each battle, some health will be restored to the winner.
Loser-Stays (2-8 Players): Challenge DOA Online opponents to One-on-One fights. The loser stays to fight the next opponent.
Kumite (2-8 Players): Kumite is a non-stop brawl in which, win or lose, the champion continues to fight all challengers until he or she quits.
Overall, Online gameplay is a very cool addition to the Dead or Alive experience. It's just a shame that online is the only real advancement since the last DOA title.
Special Features (for/with Dead or Alive 3): DOAU is able to interact with any American save file on your Xbox's Hard Disc. If you have a save file of DOA3 on your Xbox, special features can be accessed.
Booster Pack (for 3): After all outfits have been unlocked for every fighter, a icon will appear at the main menu. This link will take you to a section where you can add more costumes for the fighters in DOA3 to your save file of that game. This feature acts as the same booster that was released back in 2001 with DOA3.
Extra Fighter (for Ultimate): To unlock an additional fighter is simply beat story mode (normal difficulty or higher) as Ein with a save file of Dead or Alive 3 or Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball on your Hard Disc to unlock Hitomi (pic 2nd 7, fighter on the left) as a special character.
With 15 fighters, 21 gorgeous,interactive worlds and dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay, Dead or Alive Ultimate -- Double Disc Collector's Edition is a game every Xbox owner should play. It would've been nice to see some real improvements from the last game, but can you really blame Team Ninja for sticking to the formula that works so beautifully? In closing, for those of you who've never played DOA1 or 2 before, you really need to give this game a once-over. However, for anyone who's already played the hell out of the previous versions of 2 (Dreamcast and Playstation 2) or don't think online is enough to give it another go, don't bother. I, personally, think this game is fantastic, and while the graphics and gameplay are deeper, I still found DOA3 to be the more sound investment.