Dead or Alive Ultimate

Dead or Alive Ultimate (often abbreviated as DOAU) is a multiplayer fighting game for the, from the developer Tecmo. It is a compilation collection of the games Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2 from the developer Tecmo. The game requires in order to play online, and includes twelve different game modes, fifteen different characters from the Dead or Alive series, as well as bonus content for Dead or Alive 3.

As of December 14, 2006, with the backwards compatibility update for the, the Xbox release of Dead or Alive Ultimate can now be played on the Xbox 360. As of April 15, 2010, the online features of Dead or Alive Ultimate, along with other online titles of the Xbox, has been shut down on said platform.

A PC-based game based on Dead or Alive Ultimate, titled Dead or Alive Online has been announced but only a open beta version has been released so far.

Overview
In 2004, Team Ninja released Dead or Alive Ultimate. The compilation contains the version of Dead or Alive and an enhanced remake of Dead or Alive 2 which utilized the Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball graphics engine, and offered Dead or Alive 3 game mechanics, new game content and the inclusion of Hitomi and *Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo as playable characters.

The system set forth by Tecmo for online play in Dead 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. This compilation makes it the second online console 3D fighting game to be released in America and Europe ( being the first) and the first online console 3D fighting game in Japan.

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 of Dead or Alive Ultimate, and some bonus Kasumi-themed extras.

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 U.S. release also contains the Booster Pack for Dead or Alive 3, which adds numerous character costumes and a new opening cinematic for the game. This disc also included a G4-produced segment on the history of the series that offered a video interview with series creator Tomonobu Itagaki.

Story
Being a compilation of the first two games that introduces new features, online play, and various unlockables, the story of Dead or Alive Ultimate plays out as it did in the original. However, a new CG opening was included, further explaining the relationship and history of Ayane, Kasumi and Hayate.

Returning Characters

 * Ayane
 * Bass Armstrong
 * Ein
 * Gen Fu
 * Helena Douglas
 * Jann Lee
 * Kasumi
 * Lei Fang
 * Leon
 * Ryu Hayabusa
 * Tina Armstrong
 * Zack

Unlockable Characters

 * Bayman
 * Hitomi
 * Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo

Gameplay
Dead or Alive Ultimate is a compilation game that includes a remade version of Dead or Alive 2, with re-developed graphics and new stages for the Xbox gaming system. It also includes the original version of the first Dead or Alive, with smoothed graphics, but lacks the additional content received in the later-released North America ; it didn't have Bass or Ayane, nor any extra costumes. Both editions include online play.

Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate
Dead or Alive Ultimate 1 is essentially identical to its original, and is generally considered more of a collector's disc than for its content. Its most defining features were its speed and countering system. Unlike Tekken, Dead or Alive'' put an emphasis on speed, and relied more on simplistic commands and reaction time rather than long strings of combos. ''

Its countering system was the first in the fighting genre to utilize different commands that corresponded to each type of attack. There are two kinds of holds, an "offensive hold" and a "defensive hold"; furthermore, these commands 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.

Finally, the game used an environmental addition called the "danger zone", which surrounded the outer edges of the fighting arena or, depending on the options, it could also completely consume it. When a character came in contact with it, it sent them in the air so the opposing player can execute a juggling air combo. However, this can be avoided with a Ukemi defensive roll.

Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
Dead or Alive Ultimate 2, being a remake created after the debut of Dead or Alive 3, takes elements and mechanics from both its original iteration and successor. The action of 3D-axis movement is as free-formatted as Dead or Alive 3, and Hitomi is now a playable character, albeit outside story mode. Other elements have been kept intact from Dead or Alive 2. These include higher damaging counters than in Dead or Alive 3, 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 the Ultimate version of Dead or Alive 2, most moves cannot be sidestepped as in Dead or Alive 3. Only a few moves, mostly jumps, are actually able to be avoided with a sidestep, such as Hitomi's back, forward + kick combo.

Another major change is in the revamped holding system in Dead or Alive 2. Formerly, holds were performed simply based on the three heights of high, mid, and low. In the Ultimate version however, mid-punches and mid-kicks have their own holds, requiring more thinking when using holds.

The final major set of changes instituted in Dead or Alive 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. All of the characters also now have slope-based throws that are executed when they are near them instead of their normal throw.

Music
For more infomation: Dead or Alive Ultimate Original Sound Trax While this game brings back the old mechanics of Dead or Alive 2 from the, some changes to the music and remixes were added; each character, except Hitomi, has their own remix which plays in the Ray House.

The song, Dream On was played in the brand new CG intro for Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate.

Trivia

 * Dead or Alive Ultimate became the first Dead or Alive fighting game to be rated M, CERO 17+, and PEGI 16+ due to female characters with revealing outfits and the allusion of rape in the opening cutscene. In the whole series, it's the second game to received this rating; Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball received a mature rating first.