| Dead or Alive Ultimate | |
|---|---|
 European cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Team Ninja |
| Publisher(s) | Tecmo |
| Director(s) | Tomonobu Itagaki |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Takeshi Sawatari |
| Composer(s) | Ryo Koike |
| Series | Dead or Alive |
| Platform(s) | Xbox |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Dead or Alive Ultimate[a] is a 2004fighting gamecompilation developed byTeam Ninja and published byTecmo for theXbox. It is a collection of the two previous games in the series, 1996'sDead or Alive and 1999'sDead or Alive 2. It marks the first game in the series to be a compilation.DOA Ultimate contains a high-resolution edition of theSega Saturn version ofDead or Alive, and anenhanced remake ofDead or Alive 2 which utilizes a new graphics engine and offersDead or Alive 3 game mechanics, new game content and the inclusion ofHitomi as a playable character. The game offeredonline multiplayer capabilities, making the compilation among the first fighting games to offer online play.
Ultimate received generally favorable reviews from critics who praised the games' online functionalities. In 2006, both games becamebackwards compatible onXbox 360.[1] In 2021, both games were made available to download onXbox Live worldwide, and were later added to thelist of backward compatible games onXbox One andXbox Series X/S.[2]
Dead or Alive Ultimate is a compilation game that includes an enhanced version ofDead or Alive 1 and a remade version ofDead or Alive 2. The remade version ofDead or Alive 2 has re-developed graphics and new stages for theXbox gaming system. The enhanced version ofDead or Alive 1 is the originalSega Saturn version, with smoothed graphics, but lacks the additional content received in the later-released North AmericanPlayStation version (noBass orAyane characters or extra costumes). Both editions include online play.
Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate is essentially identical to its original Sega Saturn version, and is generally considered more of a collector's disc than for its content.Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate, being a remake created after the debut ofDead or Alive 3, takes elements and mechanics from both its original iteration and successor. The action of 3D-axis movement is as free-formatted asDOA3, and Hitomi is now a playable character albeit outside story mode. Other elements have been kept intact fromDOA2. These include higher damaging counters than inDOA3, environmental hazards not warranting a knockout on a character, and a counter mechanism that is much harder to execute. Despite being able to freely move on a 3D axis in theUltimate version ofDOA2 however, most moves cannot be sidestepped as inDOA3 and other 3D fighters. Another major change is in the revamped holding system inDOA2 Ultimate. The final major set of changes instituted in2 Ultimate is the inclusion of slopes, which are a type of environmental hazard where those knocked down them roll down the slope, taking damage as they fall.
The game requiredXbox Live in order to play online. The service's support makes it the second onlineconsole fighting game to be released in America and Europe (Mortal Kombat: Deception having been the first) and the first online console fighting game in Japan. While Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued in 2010,Dead or Alive Ultimate is now playable online using the replacement Xbox Live servers calledInsignia.[3][4]
The system set forth by Tecmo for online play inDead or Alive Ultimate was intended to recreate the feel of playing at an arcade. Players would log onto a shared "lobby" and then observe other matches until it was their turn to participate. Each lobby has a set of gameplay parameters that is determined by its creator, allowing for tournament-style play.
While this game brings back the old mechanics of theDreamcast version ofDead or Alive 2, some changes to the music and remixes were added. Each character exceptHitomi (who was introduced inDOA3) has their own remix. The remixes only appear in the Dance Floor stage, The Ray House.
Ultimate features a total of 16 playable characters.Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate features a roster of 9 playable characters whileDead or Alive 2 Ultimate features a roster of 15 playable characters.
^a Only playable in2 Ultimate
^b Unlockable character
^c Accessible by owning a copy ofDead or Alive 3
^d Only playable in1 Ultimate
The story mode ofDead or Alive Ultimate plays out as it did in the original games. However, a new CG opening sequence is added, further explaining the relationship and history of Mugen Tenshinninjas,Kasumi,Ayane andHayate, revealing the village they all hail from, Kasumi's and Hayate's father,Shiden, who was mentioned in the firstDead or Alive, Ayane's foster-father,Genra, before his monstrous transformation inDead or Alive 3, and introducesAyame, mother of Kasumi, Hayate and Ayane. The sequence reveals the rape of Ayame by Kasumi's and Hayate's uncle,Raidou, leading to the birth of Ayane, her being raised by Genra, and Raidou's crippling of Hayate, leading to Hayate's comatose state and Kasumi's quest for vengeance on Raidou. The CG sequence acts as a prologue leading into the first threeDead or Alive games.
In 2004, after the release ofDead or Alive 3, Team Ninja once again remadeDead or Alive 2, this time for the Xbox system. In the planning stages, this new game was originally namedDead or Alive Online for its addition of online support. On January 14, it was renamed toDead or Alive Ultimate and promised fresh content, additional characters, re-recorded voiceovers, and an upgraded version of the originalDead or Alive for the Sega Saturn. According to Tecmo, the name change was due to the opinion that"Ultimate would more accurately describe the feeling players feel upon experiences with the game".[5]
Hitomi fromDead or Alive 3 was added to the game roster as an unlockable character, and owning a copy ofDead or Alive 3 makes Hitomi accessible inDead or Alive Ultimate. In Japan,Dead or Alive Ultimate was released with a crystal-clear blue version of the Xbox system that included a controller of the same color, a copy ofDead or Alive Ultimate, and some bonus Kasumi-themed extras.[6] In the United States, two trading cards with character pictures on them were randomly included in each game as part of a collector's edition. The game disc of the North American release also contains the Booster Pack for the North American version ofDead or Alive 3, which adds numerous character costumes found in the European and Japanese versions ofDead or Alive 3. This disc also included theG4-produced segment from theirIcons series entitled "Dead or Alive", detailing the history of theDead or Alive series, along with interviews featuring various people from the video game industry, including series creatorTomonobu Itagaki. A guide book titledDead or Alive Ultimate: Prima Official Game Guide byPrima Games was released on November 4, 2004.
With the December 14, 2006,backwards compatibility update for theXbox 360, the Xbox release ofDead or Alive Ultimate can now be played on the Xbox 360.[1] On November 10, 2021,Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate andDead or Alive 2 Ultimate became available to download separately onXbox Live worldwide along withDead or Alive 3, hinting at the addition of the games tobackward compatibility program. On November 15, 2021, all 3 games were added to the line up and became playable onXbox One andXbox Series X/S.[2]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 84%[7] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[8] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | A[9] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[10] |
| Famitsu | 32/40[11] |
| Game Informer | 9/10[14] |
| GamePro | 4.5/5[12] |
| GameSpot | 8.8/10[16] |
| GameSpy |   [17] |
| GamesRadar+ | 9/10[15] |
| GameZone | 9.6/10[13] |
| IGN | 9.2/10[18] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 8.8/10[19] |
| PALGN | 8/10[20] |
| TeamXbox | 9.5/10[21] |
| Detroit Free Press | [22] |
| Yahoo! Games |  [23] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) | Game…Sequel Fighting[24] |
| IGN | Best Fighting Game of 2004[25] Xbox: Best Graphics of 2004[26] Xbox: Best Non-Playable Presentation (E3 2004)[27] |
Dead or Alive Ultimate received generally favorable reviews from critics with a score of 84.14% and 83/100 from review aggregatorsGameRankings andMetacritic. In Japan,Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40.[11]
IGN's Hilary Golden praised its online functionality, stating how "the online set-up goes well beyond what has been previously done for fighting games and betters some online first-person shooters to boot". Golden concluded that "the greatly improved arenas, the plethora of costumes, the addition of slope moves, and the implementation ofXbox Live play makesDOA Ultimate one of the best games this year".[18]GameSpot'sGreg Kasavin called it "a landmark achievement in the fighting game genre's history-in-the-making", praising its innovative, impressive and well implemented online component, and praised how theDead or Alive gameplay formula held up well over the years. Kasavin criticized the gameplay being unchanged from years-old predecessors and the absence ofDead or Alive 3 characters "Hayate", "Christie", and "Brad Wong" from the roster, but concluded that "For a game that's so bold as to call itself "Ultimate",DOAU sure comes close. It truly is the best, most fully featured title in theDead or Alive series yet".[16]
Dead or Alive Ultimate topped the Japanese charts on release, coming in number 4 during Week 45 in 2004.[28] Prior to release, the game's E3 presentation was awarded "Best Non-Playable Xbox Presentation" byIGN.[27] After its release, it was awarded "Fighting Game of the Year" at the 2004 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards (NAVGTR Awards).[24]IGN awarded the game "Best Fighting Game of 2004" and "Best Xbox Graphics of 2004" during their Best of 2004 awards.[25][26] It also received a runner-up position in GameSpot's 2004 "Best Fighting Game" category across all platforms, losing toMortal Kombat: Deception.[29]
Dead or Alive Ultimate was the first Japanese fighting game and the second fighting game afterMortal Kombat: Deception to offer online multiplayer.Dead or Alive Ultimate's online mode along with the online modes ofMortal Kombat: Deception and theXbox version ofStreet Fighter Anniversary Collection, connected players of different regions together during the time thefighting game community (FGC) was in a state of stagnation.
In 2005,Dead or Alive Ultimate became the first fighting game to be included in theWorld Cyber Games (WCG).[30]