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"One More Time, One More Fight"
—Tagline for the game.

Dead or Alive Dimensions (also known as DOA Dimensions or simply Dimensions) is the 13th installment of the Dead or Alive franchise, and the tenth versus-fighting title of the series.

Officially announced on June 15, 2010 at E3, under the working title Dead or Alive 3D, Dimensions was developed by Team Ninja and released in May 2011 by Tecmo Koei for the Nintendo 3DS, making it the first Dead or Alive title for a Nintendo system, and the series's first fighting game for any handheld.

Dimensions was originally slated for a Japanese release on March 24, 2011, however, due to the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan on March 11, 2011, the game's release was pushed back by two months.[1]

Story[]

As this game is the 15th anniversary title for the series, rather then featuring a new plot, or simply being a remake of a previous title, Dimensions tells the story of the main series with more details and additional scenes, answering questions about the series, and showing events that were mentioned previously in past games but never seen. While chapters one through four follow the story from the point of view of the shinobi - Kasumi, Ryu Hayabusa, Hayate and Ayane - chapter five features the story from the side of Helena Douglas. It also takes opportunities to teach the player about the mechanics of DOA in each chapter.

Please Note: this section will only cover the main running plot of Dimensions. For additional information or for certain events not linked to the main plot, visit the character pages.

Prologue[]

DOAD Ayane Kasumi Drop

After a bit a chaos, Kasumi escaped Ayane's grasp with Christie via helicopter.

After his son Hayate fell into a coma, Shiden, the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan, decided that his second child, Kasumi would take over as heir to the head of the clan. He made her start training for the post, but refused to tell her how her brother ended up in his critical state.

To find out the truth, Kasumi asked her half-sister and former friend Ayane about what she knew. Believing that Kasumi wouldn't amount to anything as leader, she told her that Hayate was injured by Raidou, Shiden's older brother and Ayane's father. The runaway shinobi had returned to the village to "steal" the Torn Sky Blast, a ninpo spell learned by the clan leaders. Hayate tried to fight Raidou off with the Torn Sky Blast, but was overpowered and his spinal cord was damaged in the brawl, causing Hayate to fall into his coma.

After learning the truth, Kasumi decided to run away from the village to take revenge on Raidou for Hayate, even though it meant she would likely be killed by her own clan for leaving the village without permission. When Kasumi disappeared from the village, Ayane was ordered to track her down and kill her. She tried to capture Kasumi on the bridge leading out of the village, but was stopped when out of the blue, Christie appeared in a helicopter and saved Kasumi. Although Kasumi didn't know the woman, she went with Christie to safety, leaving Ayane screaming furiously below.[2]

Chapter 1: Resolve[]

Christie told Kasumi that she would find Raidou taking part in the Dead or Alive World Combat Championship, and that she should take part too. Bayman, Christie's co-worker, told Kasumi not to, since she was just a little girl, but Christie claimed that Kasumi was actually one of the top contenders for the championship.

DOA3D Raidou

It's highly implied that Raidou allowed DOATEC to experiment on him, making him more powerful.

The three of them ended up on the cruise ship Freedom Survivor, where Fame Douglas, the head of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee, formally introduced the tournament. During the speech, Kasumi found Ayane in the crowd, who had turned up for the same reasons Kasumi did, in addition to killing her sister. The girls quickly discovered that Raidou was working for Fame and before he left the ship, Ayane tried to attack him. She failed, and Fame stopped them, telling Kasumi if she wanted to fight Raidou, she would have to make it to the final round of the tournament...

...Which she did. Kasumi fought her way through every foe she faced, and managed to get to the final round in the Danger Zone. She defeated Raidou, but he awoke at once, more powerful then before. Determined to defeat him, Kasumi faced him in a Torn Sky Blast duel, and with unseen help from Ryu Hayabusa on the sidelines, she finally came out as the winner and killed Raidou. Unfortunately, her reward was to be kidnapped by DOATEC, which prompted Hayabusa to save her. That same night, Fame was assassinated by Bayman under the order of Victor Donovan, but although he was successful, Christie left him behind as she returned to DOATEC headquarters.[3]

Chapter 2: Rise of the Tengu[]

DOAD Ayane Genra

After Alpha kidnapped Hayate, Ayane was ordered to find Hayabusa for his help.

One night, while a comatose Hayate laid in bed, Kasumi α snuck into his room, overjoyed to see her "brother". Ayane burst into the room after her, and believing that it's the real Kasumi, became enraged at the sight of her. Before Ayane attacked, Alpha preformed a ninpo illusion spell on her. Ayane saw a vision of a tengu at Miyama, before she awoke again to find that Alpha and Hayate missing, and Genra next to her. Genra told her that Alpha had broken the barrier between the human world and the world of the tengu, allowing the tengu she saw to return. Genra requested, to stop the tengu, that Ayane searches for Hayabusa, who at that moment was in the oceans surrounding Europe on the Freedom Survivor.

DOAD Lisa Ryu

Hayabusa meets a slightly drunk Lisa at the announcement of the second tournament.

Meanwhile, on the ship during a formal gathering, Helena Douglas addressed the crowd, announcing her take-over of DOATEC following her father's death, and that a second Dead or Alive Tournament would take place, which Helena herself would take part in as a competitor. In the crowd, Hayabusa was spotted by a masked woman calling herself "La Mariposa" (real name Lisa Hamilton), and she asked him if he was taking part in the tournament too. When Hayabusa says he is not interested in the game, Lisa accidently insulted him by reminding him he came second in the tournament, suggesting that he is a sore loser for not taking part a second time around. After saying sorry, Lisa took a call from Victor Donovan while in the shower. Listening outside, Hayabusa heard that Kasumi was at DOATEC Germany, and stole Lisa's DOATEC ID card, before taking off to Germany in a helicopter with his ally, Irene Lew.

Sometime later at DOATEC Germany, a fire broke out, causing everyone to evacuate the building. As Lisa tries to get Hayate - who they had been using for Project Epsilon - out of the building, Alpha sneaked Kasumi out of her cell. Though surprised to see a double of herself, Kasumi followed Alpha into one of the labs. Once there, Alpha told Kasumi they were "sisters", and Kasumi wasn't being a good sister because she was keeping Hayate to herself, so he was Alpha's now. Kasumi then realized that Hayate had to be in the same building as her.[4]

DOAD Lisa Hayate

As DOATEC Germany burns, Hayabusa saves Kasumi while Lisa and Alpha make off with Hayate.

Lisa bursted in having tracked down Alpha, and became angry at the clone for telling Kasumi about Hayate. Kasumi demanded to know what they have done to her brother, but before she could attack, Lisa pulled out a handgun and threatened her with it, telling her to calm down. In the nick of time, Hayabusa bust in. Keeping the promise he made to Hayate to keep Kasumi safe, Hayabusa took her to safety against her will, while Lisa and Alpha made their escape from the colapsing building. As the DOATEC members fleed on helicopters, the one holding Lisa and Hayate blew its engine, so had to make an emergency landing in the Black Forest as the others flew to the main headquarters.

In the forest, Hayabusa and Irene looked over data they had taken from the lab: DOATEC was experimenting with DNA to decode genes to boost the human body's physical power. To their surprise, they also found out that DOATEC had "resurrected" Hayate's body during their experiments. Hearing this, Kasumi urged that they need to go back and help Hayate. Despite Hayabusa's harsh words against it, Kasumi ran off to find her brother, so Hayabusa sent Ayane after her. In another part of the forest, Hitomi was training when Hayate, having gotten away from the helicopter alive, stumbles into her clearing and collapses, mistaking Hitomi for Kasumi as she runs off to get help.

As Hayabusa battled his way through the tournament, he had to come face to face with Hayate, who was presently going by the name of "Ein", and was suffering from amnesia. After they fight, Ein gained a memory of the tengu, and remembered Hayabusa's name, but little else. Later, Hayabusa tracked down the tengu and killed him, removing the threat of chaos.

Sometime later, Ein arrived at Miyama, which began to stir up memories. While trying to remember why he knew the place, Kasumi appeared, happy to see her brother again, however due to his amnesia, Ein didn't recognize her. Hayabusa then appeared, telling the two siblings that when fists bonded by blood met in battle, it awakens the very soul of a shinobi. After defeating Kasumi in battle and knocking her out, Hayate regained his memories, but his reunion with Hayabusa was short-lived as Genra appeared. It turned out that it was actually Genra who allowed the tengu to pass into the human world, but before Hayabusa and Hayate take him down, Genra escaped, leaving Alpha and a brainwashed Ayane to fight the men.

With the girls defeated, Hayabusa, along with Irene, explain to Hayate that Genra may have been involved with DOATEC, and the CIA have been watching the company for some time. Although Ayane returned to normal, both Kasumi and her clone had disappeared.

Chapter 3: Puppets[]

After Genra was turned against the clan, Hayate requested his father to allow him to hunt down the traitor, which made Shiden believe that Hayate may be ready to take over as the leader of the clan. Hayate wanted to bring Kasumi home first, but Ayane, naturally still possessing hatred for her sister, spoke against it, calling Kasumi a traitor and suggesting that she might have been consorting with Genra. Enraged by her words, Hayate slapped Ayane, nearly threatening exile.

Thinking that Hayate now hated her, Ayane tried committing suicide outside the village, but was found by her mother, Ayame. Ayane was upset because she believed that Hayate only cared about Kasumi, but Ayame reminded her that all four of them shared the same blood, and the bond of a family was stronger then the shinobi code. She then asked Ayane to save Kasumi, who she knew was the type to try to do everything herself.[5]

A few days later in Kyoto, Kokoro found a feverish Kasumi almost passed out on the road. Although the girl tried to help her, Kasumi ran away at the sight of Ayane coming towards her. Kokoro quickly caught on to Kasumi's fright and refused to tell Ayane which way Kasumi went. The kunoichi cruelly proceeded to beat the information out of her, until Hayate arrived. Although Kokoro ran away, they still had a lead on Kasumi's whereabouts.

Hayate and Ayane join the third tournament to track down Genra, and while on the Freedom Suvivour, Hayate meets up Hitomi again for the first time since he left her family's home when he was Ein. Hayate introduced Ayane to Hitomi, who assumed that Ayane was Kasumi, the girl who Hayate was mumbling about when they first met. Angered for being mistaken for Kasumi, Ayane fought Hitomi. After the fight, Hayate told Hitomi the truth about his shinobi identity, much to her surprise.

At some point, Ein and Hitomi were training in Freedom Survivor and while training, Hitomi brought up Ayane only to be interrupted by Leifang's crash by Jann Lee. Hitomi steps in to defend Leifang from Jann Lee but Leifang tells Hitomi to stay out of it therefore starting their rivalry. Jann Lee picks on Ein for a fight which Ein emerged victorious.

Some time later, Ayane and Hayate argued about who should take down Genra; Hayate felt that as leader of the clan, it was his duty to take down the former master, but Ayane too felt it was her task, being Genra's foster daughter and heir. After fighting about it, they both agree to work together to kill Genra.

During the rounds of the tournament, Hayate met with Helena, who recognized him as the subject of Project Epsilon. Hayate demanded her to tell her why Genra joined DOATEC, but she claimed she didn't know, that Genra and even herself were just puppets that DOATEC could control. After defeating Helena in battle, he told her that he would defeat Genra, and she should leave DOATEC for her own safety.

A while later, Hayate and Ayane met up with Hayabusa and Irene, and the men engaged in battle to see who was the greater shinobi. The fight become extreme as the boys started a Torn Sky Blast duel, but were stopped by Ayane as Irene was kidnapped by Chrisite. Hayabusa ran off to save Irene, but Hayate and Ayane realized that her kidnapping was just a distraction for Genra. The fallen master created a portal to Hellfire, and transformed into his powerful Omega form. The two shinobi try to take him down, but Genra proved too strong and they were starting to become overpowered by him. When Hayabusa realized that Christie was just a decoy, he quickly arrived to aid his friends, and ran Genra through with the Dragon Sword. Before the monster could regenerate, Ayane and Hayate performed a duel-spell together and struck the final blow, killing Genra. When they returned to the village, Ayane cremated Genra, putting him to peace.

Chapter 4: The Fall of DOATEC[]

After Genra's death, Helena gained her role as head leader of DOATEC. Donovan discussed with her their business together, namely the biological weapon cloning project, Project Alpha. Donovan claimed the project was for the public, and it would ensure the company's national interests for the next century. Unconvinced, Helena warned him that she would begin a full review of the company and its actions, and started on creating the fourth tournament.

With the fourth tournament coming up, Hayate and the clan planned to take down DOATEC once and for all by attacking the company's main headquarters, the TriTower. Fearing the worst, Kasumi found her brother and tried to convince him not to start a war, but the plea fell on deaf ears.

One night, with the aid of Irene and the CIA, Hayate, Ayane, and Hayabusa attacked DOATEC, taking out the company's private army, and tried to stop them from finishing Project Alpha. Kasumi tracked them down to stop the chaos, but met up with Helena instead. She pleaded with Helena to put an end to the fight, but Helena merely told her that the shinobi would stop at nothing to destroy DOATEC, and the final product of Project Alpha, the super-weapon Alpha-152, created from Kasumi's DNA, was about to be awakened. Reluctantly, Helena tried to shoot Kasumi to keep her from stopping the war, but she was saved by Hayabusa, and after defeating Helena, Kasumi made her way to take out her clone.

Meanwhile, Hayate and Ayane were still fighting off DOATEC soldiers, and had to resort to using the Art of the Raging Mountain God spell to take out most of them. They made it out of the TriTower, only to have to face Alpha-152 themselves.

The chapter ends with a peaceful scene of the mountains around the Mugen Tenshin village, with Kasumi declaring that it was time to go back to the village.

Final: Helena[]

After the death of her father Fame, and her mother Maria, Helena took control of DOATEC, and created the second Dead or Alive Tournament. During the tournament, Helena came face-to-face with Hayate, who was then Ein at the time, and recognized him as the subject of Project Epsilon.

For some time, Helena tried to find out the truth about Project Alpha and its real purpose, but Victor Donovan ordered Lisa and Christie to keep her from finding out. Christie tried to convince him to get rid of her permanently, but they had to lay low due to the mistakes made last time; during the show in which Maria was shot, it was Helena who was the intended target for the sniper, but the CIA were still looking for the shooter, and DOATEC still had to find Hayate. In order to lure him in, they created the third tournament, using Genra as bait to get all the shinobi in.

During the thrid tournament, Helena hired Bayman to protect her and kill Donovan. When Christie, who had been acting as Helena's assistant, tried to kill her, Bayman caught the assassin, but when Kasumi α heard that Helena wanted her creator dead, she attacked, though Helena managed to defeat her.

During the fourth tournament, with Alpha-152 activated, Helena set out to cause the DOATEC TriTower to self-destruct in order to stop it. As the shinobi attack DOATEC, Helena faced Christie one last time, and learnt that it was actually her who killed Maria. After finding out the truth, Helena pressed the building's self-destruct button, and planned to end her life by going down with it. However, she was saved at the last minute by fellow fighter Zack, who swooped in by helicopter and pulled her to safety.

The final scene shows Donovan taking off his normal white mask, and putting on Genra's mask.

Characters[]

DOAD Character Selection

The character selection screen showing all of the fighter (minus "boss characters")

Main article: List of Dead or Alive Dimensions characters

Dead or Alive Dimensions features 26 playable characters, meaning it features the biggest character selection out of all of the Dead or Alive titles. In addition to the regular fighters, the bosses of the series can also be unlocked to play, and there is one "secret" character.

Playable characters[]

  • Kasumi, a very talented kunoichi who gave up on her clan when she left her village to avenge her older brother, Hayate. Although she seems young, Kasumi is very serious and controlled, and bursts with an internal strength that belies her small stature.
  • Ayane, a fascinating beauty who grew up to be Kasumi's rival in every way. Always focused, Ayane is very strict with her own goals and carries out her duties faithfully with the determination and sharpness of a seasoned warrior.
  • Hayate, a calm and reserved shinobi who in spite of his remarkable composure, feels extremely confident in his own strength. With his strong sense of duty and responsibility, Hayate feels a strong obligation as the new leader of his clan.
  • Ein, a karateka who has lost his memory and fights in the tournament with the hope that the battles will help bring his memories back. During his bout with amnesia, Ein was looked after by Hitomi, the young woman who found him in the Black Forest, and with whom he trained in the art of karate.
  • Ryu Hayabusa, a refined warrior who has become one of the world's most accomplished shinobi. Calm and composed, Hayabusa lives his life according to the shinobi sense of duty and justice.
  • Helena Douglas, a young and spirited prima donna who always has a noble air about her when she fights. Helena at first seems haughty and unconcerned with others, but soon shows that she has a kind side to her as well. She initially enters the tournaments to find the assassin who killed her mother, Maria, but soon finds herself in a position she could have never imagined.
  • Christie, a perfectly trained assassin who can adapt to any situation. Unrivaled in her ruthlessness, Christie has perfected her snake fist style to become the world's ultimate assassin. Performing her duties as an assassin with a sadistic delight Christie take great enjoyment from the suffering of others.
  • La Mariposa, a luchadora who hides her identity underneath her flamboyant costume. Having never lost a match, La Mariposa rose like a comet to the peak of stardom only a short while after her debut.
  • Hitomi, a gentle and pleasant young lady who has trained in the art of karate under her father's tutelage since she was very little. Possessing a strength far greater than her appearance suggests, even defeating the largest of men, Hitomi is determined to perfect her karate.
  • Bayman, a quiet assassin whose tragic past has given him such a dark personality that one can feel pain in every word that he says. Cold and ruthless, his mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of revenge for the man who wronged him long ago.
  • Kokoro, a very energetic and positive young woman who despite her training to become a geisha, has discovered another passion in her life, the martial art of ba ji quan. With much reluctance, Kokoro's mother, Miyako, has given Kokoro permission to enter the tournament and test her skills in the world of hand-to-hand combat.
  • Jann Lee, a rare talent who completely taught himself the complex art of Jeet Kune Do. Growing up as an orphan, the only thing that Jann Lee felt that he could ever rely on was his own power, and now seeking to prove himself as the world's most powerful fighter, he joins the tournaments in search of strong opponents.
  • Leifang, a cheerful tai ji quan genius who grew up in a very wealthy family. After being saved from a group of thugs by Jann Lee, Leifang embarks on a mission to prove her strength to the man who once saved her from harm.
  • Tina Armstrong, an all women's pro-wrestling champion whose dream is to one day become a superstar. By using her charms as a magnificent, sexy beauty, Tina is able to lay out any opponent with her hard-hitting wrestling techniques.
  • Bass Armstrong, a powerful and full-of-life professional wrestler and the doting father of Tina. As a consummate fighter, Bass always puts on a great show for the audience as he uses his strength to punish any opponent in the ring.
  • Zack, an unorthodox Muay Thai fighter who always wants to be in the spotlight. Energetic and constantly cheerful, Zack always believes in having a good time, and never lets anything get him down.
  • Eliot, a martial art prodigy who has studied under Gen Fu since he was very little. Though he was unsure at first why he was chosen as an apprentice, Eliot soon shook off his doubts and sought only to become stronger.
  • Gen Fu, a long-time practitioner of xinyi liuhe quan who fights with a ferocity that is inconceivable for his age. Long ago, Gen Fu took the life of a young opponent, and thereafter hid his skills out of shame for this mistake. However, recently his granddaughter has fallen ill to a grave illness, and Gen Fu must now prepare his fists for action again and enter the tournaments to save her life.
  • Brad Wong, an aimless but loyal drunken fist fighter who is devoted to fulfilling the wish of his master, Chen, by finding a legendary wine known as Genra.
  • Leon, a mercenary who tragically lost the love of his life, Lauren. Now wandering around the world, Leon has only one purpose - to fulfill the last words of his lost love and become the strongest man in the world.
  • Raidou, a nukenin ("missing shinobi")[6], the paternal uncle of Kasumi and Hayate, and the biological father of Ayane. Due to his violent nature, Raidou was not allowed by his father, Burai, to become the new leader of the clan. As a result, he left the village but planned to return and claim his revenge.
  • Genra, the leader of the Hajinmon sect of the Mugen Tenshin clan, and the man who raised Ayane. It is revealed in the story that Genra is working with DOATEC against the clan, and becomes a puppet for the company's Project Omega.
  • Alpha-152, the final stage of Project Alpha. Having just been born, Alpha-152 is immaculate; she is a blank state, and precisely because of that the combat instincts that have been imprinted on her psyche are able to be activated mercilessly without exception.
  • Kasumi α, a sadistic and unstable prototype clone of Kasumi created for Project Alpha.
  • Tengu, also known by his real name Gohyakumine Bankotsubo; a horrible creature with inhuman strength that wants to wipe out humanity solely for his own sick pleasure. Violent and evil, he exudes extreme hatred from every pore and looks down on humanity.

Secret character[]

  • Shiden, the seventeenth leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan and the father of Hayate and Kasumi.

Non-playable characters[]

  • Anne, a mysterious woman who was murdered at gun point by an unknown person.
  • Ayame, the wife of Shiden and the mother of Hayate, Kasumi, and Ayane. Years ago, Ayame was raped by Raidou, her brother-in-law, which resulted in the birth of Ayane. However, it was not until years later when Ayane was a child that Ayame revealed to the girl that she was her biological mother.
  • Ayane's guardian (あやねの育ての爺 Ayane no Sodate no Jī), the man who raised Ayane until she was fostered by Genra.
  • Fame Douglas, the founder and leader of DOATEC. He is also infamous for his ray of affairs with different women, one which resulted in the birth of his daughter, Helena. At the end of the first tournament, Fame is assassinated by Bayman.
  • Irene Lew, a CIA operative and a trusted ally of Hayabusa. Irene assists Hayabusa and the Mugen Tenshin clan in discovering the truth behind DOATEC and the tournaments.
  • Lauren, a thief of the Silk Road who died in the arms of her lover, Leon. Her last words were the catalyst for Leon entering the tournament.
  • Maria, a world-class soprano singer and the mother of Helena. Before the second tournament, Maria sacrificed her own life to save her daughter from an assassination attempt.
  • Victor Donovan, an evil scientist and the true leader of DOATEC when Fame Douglas is assassinated. This genius is the man responsible for all of DOATEC's human development projects: Alpha, Epsilon, and Omega.

Guest characters[]

  • Samus Aran, an intergalactic bounty hunter. Armed in her cybernetic Power Suit, Samus has become famous for her accomplishments on missions others thought impossible.

Gameplay[]

DOAD Digital Instruction

The Digital Instruction menu on the bottom screen

The core gameplay of Dead or Alive Dimensions is based on the gameplay of Dead or Alive 4, with heavy modifications under the surface, including elements from Dead or Alive 3, such as the counter system.[7] Although the basic gameplay is the same as the rest of the series, each character has a brand new set of techniques.

The player can either control their character through normal, manual button-pushing, or by tapping a move set on the touch screen of the 3DS to execute a combos/throws/counter.[8] The list automatically scroll up and down to the best moves to pull off next. Dimensions supports in-game frame data that can also be displayed on the bottom screen during Training Mode.

Dimensions supports co-op both with local wireless connection and wireless internet connection which allows the player to fight others from around the world. Friend codes will still be implemented. However, these are universal to the system and a Friends list will allow for easy access, without having to type out whole numbers.

Unlocking characters[]

At the start of the game, only the original eight characters of the series are playable, though the player can simply play through Chronicle Mode to unlock the other main characters.

Unlocking the boss characters[]

Character Obtained
Kasumi α Complete Tag Challenge Mission 16
Tengu Complete Tag Challenge Mission 17
Genra Complete Tag Challenge Mission 18
Alpha-152 Complete Tag Challenge Mission 19
Raidou Complete Tag Challenge Mission 20
Shiden Unlock all 25 characters, then select Random while holding 3DS L Button+3DS X Button. For alternate costumes, select Random while holding either 3DS R Button+3DS X Button or 3DS L Button+3DS R Button+3DS X Button

Gameplay Modes[]

In addition to recurring gameplay modes from previous games, Dimensions also features new ways to play:

  • Arcade is a simple versus mode against the computer, where the player must select "courses" to fight against a line-up of pre-determend characters. Completing a course unlock the next, as well as characters and costumes.[9]
  • Throwdown uses the "StreetPass" system of the 3DS so people can connect with fellow players and exchange gameplay data when they walk by them. The collected data will then make the A.I’s in the game fight like the exchanged player style. This teaches players how to adapt to other players playing style for use in co-op.
  • Chronicle Mode is the games equivalent to "Story Mode", named so because it covers the story of the main Dead or Alive series, from the first Dead or Alive to Dead or Alive 4. Chronicle Mode will be split into 5 chapters (A prologue, the DOA series, and an epilogue) and characters are pre-determined to fit the events of the story; for example, at the start of chapter one, the player must take control of Kasumi, and it changes from person to person as the story progresses. As well as playing through the story, Chronicle Mode will teach the player about timing and moves. Cutscenes are in 3D, with event scenes being told with "figurines" that seem to pop out of the screen.[10]
DOAD Kasumi Photo

A figurine of Kasumi through the camera lens.

Collectable Figurines[]

As the player completes tasks in Dimensions, they will unlock figurines, which act as in-game trophies. The figurines are in the form of the fighters in different poses and costumes (expressions can be changed), and are viewed in Showcase. The player can also take in-game 3D photos of the figurines in various environment, and view said photos in the Album.

Development[]

Dead-or-alive-dimensions-promo-178084

The Dead or Alive Dimensions promo booth at Nintendo World 2011.

Downloadable Content[]

Main article: List of Dead or Alive Dimensions Downloadable Content

As well as been able to unlock costumes in-game, Dimensions used the 3DS's SpotPass feature to offer players daily downloadable costumes. There are a total of 34 costumes to download, and there were a couple of chances to download the costumes in both the US and Europe. The types of costumes available and their order of release were the same in both areas.

Nintendo promo screenshot 2011 ad86000e

Dead or Alive Dimensions at a Nintendo promo in 2011.

Similarly, there was a "Throwdown Challenge" available through SpotPass for 26 weeks, starting from May 24th to November 15th, 2011. Anyone who takes on the challenge got a "rare figurine".

All this content was free. To get this downloadable content, players had to make sure the 3DS was connected wirelessly to the internet, and create additional data for Dead or Alive Dimensions, by following on-screen instructions when you boot up the game. (To create additional data, a SD Card had to be placed into the 3DS).

If the player successfully manages to get the data, a confirmation message would be displayed on the main menu. New costumes are usable on the "Costume Select" screen, and are displayed as "Download". Challenge data were selectable in Throwdown Mode, displayed with SP next to the name of the Challenge, indicating it was received via SpotPass.[11]

Team Ninja announced through their official Twitter feed that they will be re-releasing all costume and challenge DLC worldwide through SpotPass, starting from December 8th, 2011.[12]

DOAD Ridley Hitomi Bass

Hitomi and Bass brawling in the powerplant; Ridley can be seen in the background.

Metroid Cameo[]

The game has a guest cameo from Samus Aran, the protagonist of the Metroid series; Team Ninja produced the Metroid title, Metroid: Other M in 2010. It was first thought that Samus would be an unlockable character, but it was confirmed that she isn't playable at all.[13] Samus appears in the Geothermal Power Plant (based on a location in Other M), along with Ridley, who acts as a hazard in the stage as fights take place.

Demo Version[]

On December 7th, 2011, a demo version of Dimensions was made available on the Nintendo eShop for free. It is a very limited version of the game, as the player will only have access to Arcade Mode and some parts of Chronicle Mode, and the demo will expire after 30 sessions. In the demo, players can only select from Jann Lee, Kasumi, Hayabusa, and Hitomi. It is possible to fight against, but not as, Ayane.[14]

Production credits[]

See: /Production credits

Reception[]

Overall, Dimensions has received positive reviews from critics. IGN gave Dimensions an overall score of 8.0 out of 10, praising the game for its "solid" gameplay and "beautiful" graphics but criticized the use of stagnant cutscenes, problems with the effectiveness of the touch screen controls, and stated the overall sound was "fitting, but not spectacular."[15]

Nintendo Power in issue 267 (May 2011) gave the game a 9/10 rating, saying that the cutscenes were 'well-produced' and 'top-notch.' They also praised the 'fast and furious as ever' gameplay but warned against the 3D effect, saying "for a game as fast-paced as this one is, I prefer having the better framerate even if that means the visuals aren't as impressive."

games™ Magazine has given Dimensions a positive review on NowGamer, rating the title an overall score of 8.8 out of 10, and stating that it's "not the deepest fighter you'll ever play but you'll struggle to find something so skillfully designed for its platform"; they gave the graphics an impressive 9.3 out of 10. Compared to the launch title Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, another fighting game for the 3DS, Dimensions favored better; Street Fighter 3D only received a 6.2 from the same publication.[16]

The Official Nintendo Magazine gave it 90%, stating that it was overall a very good game and a great alternative to Super Street Fighter IV 3D. It even earned their 'Game of The Month' label.

VideoGamer.com gave the game an average score of 7/10, saying that, in the end, "the Street Pass feature is nice and the controls work well but the framerate suffers online and the Chronicle Mode is a narrative mess."[17]

Dead or Alive: Dimensions was one of ten games which were nominated for "Best Fighting Game" in the 2011 Golden Joystick Awards, making it one of only six Nintendo 3DS titles to be nominated for the awards that year.[18] Unfortunately, in the end Dimensions was not given a winning place, losing out to the overall winner Mortal Kombat 9 and the runners-up Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.[19]Dead or Alive Dimensions also lost out in GameSpot's "Best Fighter" category for their Best of 2011 Awards GameSpot - "Best of 2011 Award: Best Fighter", and lost against Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the Editor's Choice and People's Choice of "Best Fighter" for the DS and 3DS in IGN's "Best of 2011." [20]

On November 11, 2011, Tecmo Koei released materials from its earnings presentation, showing that, as of that date, Dimensions has sold 310,000 units worldwide.[21]

Nordic Releases Pulled Due to Swedish Law[]

Due to concerns about Swedish laws on child pornography, Nintendo chose not to distribute Dead or Alive Dimensions in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The concerns were raised when a user on the Swedish forum Flashback commented that three underage characters in the game - namely Ayane, Kasumi, and Kokoro, all of whom are aged 16 to 17 - could be photographed from revealing angles; the law in Sweden says that if someone is picturing a girl under the age of eighteen, fictional or not, in a pornographic situation, that accounts for being child pornography.

Although the forum user in question wasn't intending to get the game banned, just to highlight the overprotectivness of the law, the game was reported to the police before it was released, though the evidence was found "lacking." Nevertheless, the game was pulled not just from Sweden but also in Norway and Denmark. Retailers like GAME and GameStop in those countries have removed Dimensions from their websites and have refunded customers that pre-ordered the game.[22]

Reclassified in Australia[]

Following Nintendo's choice to pull Dimensions out of Sweden, when the news reached Australian media, there was a backlash against the game due to the possibility of people taking indecent photographs of the underaged female characters. Australian media publishers reported that the game features these characters in bikinis (although out of the three characters, only Kasumi has a bikini costume available as DLC) and allows players to alter the camera angle for "up skirt shots." Australian media called it an easy way for pedophiles to gain access to child pornography.

Following the media uproar, the Australian Rating Board and Nintendo retracted the game from the market and decided to get the game's PG rating remarked. Nintendo said that the game's rating was a problem caused by THQ, the game's previous Australian publisher, who provided limited information to the ACB, so the rating board couldn't properly rate the title; in Australia, information sent by the publisher determines the rating of video games.

The game was later released and the ACB changed the rating from PG (E10+ equivalent) to M (T equivalent) which recommends the game for mature audiences though any age is still allowed access. The main factors for the new rating change were "online play, violence, and sexualized gameplay." Moreover, THQ no longer publishes Dimensions in Australia, with Nintendo of Australia now publishing the title.[23] [24]

Trailers[]

Packaging artwork[]

See also[]

Trivia[]

  • Dead or Alive Dimensions was the first Dead or Alive game to be released on a Nintendo system.
  • Dimensions was also the second fighting game to be released on the 3DS, after Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition.
  • A chibi-styled Kasumi is depicted as the game's 3D icon on the 3DS's top screen when the player highlights the game on their menu. The icon Kasumi spins around, surrounded by blossom petals, similar to when Kasumi teleports in the series.
  • The physics of long hair and loose clothing were changed from previous versions due to the Nintendo 3DS not handling those types of physics as well as other consoles.
  • This was the first Dead or Alive game to support in-game Frame Data.
  • While Dimensions is the first fighting game of the series to appear on a handheld, it is actually the third Dead or Alive title to be released for a handheld console; the first two were Girls of DOA BlackJack for the iPhone, and Dead or Alive Paradise for the Playstation Portable.
  • While all versions of the game's box art feature the same image (bar the darker background on the EU version) Kasumi's leg is slightly more exposed on the Japan and EU versions, with the bare skin of her thigh showing. On the US version, the image has been edited so her skirt is covering the thigh.
  • This was the first Dead or Alive game to not have an opening sequence.
  • This was the first Dead or Alive game to not have Team Battle Mode
  • This was the first game in the series to feature mainly Kasumi in the center of the cover that wasn't altered for the North American release to remove the focus from her.

References[]

External Links[]

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Dead or Alive Dimensions
Characters
Playable KasumiAyaneHayateEinRyu HayabusaHelena DouglasChristieLa MariposaHitomiBaymanKokoroJann LeeLeifangTina ArmstrongBass ArmstrongZackEliotGen FuBrad WongLeonRaidouGenraAlpha-152Kasumi αTengu
Secret character Shiden
Non-playable characters AnneAyameFame DouglasIrene LewLaurenMariaVictor Donovan
Guest characters RidleySamus Aran
Terms
Gameplay modes ChronicleArcadeSurvivalTag ChallengeFree PlayTrainingLocal PlayInternet PlayShowcase3D Photo AlbumFight RecordOptions
Gameplay terms AttacksBoss BattlesCharacter SelectComboCounter BlowCritical HitDanger ZoneHoldsKnocked OutMatchMove DataSide SteppingSpecial MovesStagesStancesTag ThrowsThrowsTriangle System
Plot subjects Dead or Alive World Combat ChampionshipDOATECExiled shinobiMugen Tenshin Ninja ClanNinpoProject AlphaProject EpsilonProject OmegaRunaway shinobiShinobiTorn Sky Blast
Martial arts Ba ji quanCombat SamboDrunken fistJeet Kune DoKarateLucha libreMuay ThaiNinjutsuPi gua quanPro-wrestlingSnake fistTai ji quanTengu-doXing yi quanXinyi liuhe quan
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Non-playable locations Great OperaMugen Tenshin Village
Music
Character themes "Alpha-152" • "Ayane's theme" • "Bass' theme" • "Blood Tie" • "Cracker" • "DEAD OR ALIVE" • "Gen Fu's theme" • "Hayabusa's theme" • "Jann Lee's theme" • "Jintsuriki" • "Karma" • "Kasumi's theme" • "Kasumi α's theme" • "Knifepoint" • "Leifang's theme" • "Monster" • "Moonlit Lady" • "Red Moon" • "Reincarnate" • "Shiden's theme" • "Successor" • "Tina's theme" • "Tribal Beats" • "Turn On The Lights" • "Vigaku" • "Zack's theme"
Chronicle Mode tracks "Brave Heart" • "The Broken Arrows" • "Dance Of The Angel" • "DOATEC" • "Ketsui no Toki" • "Look Ahead" • "Tengu-mai" • "Unbroken Chains"
Other tracks "D.O.A." • "Dimensions Training" • "Vs. Ridley" • "Wired"
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Games
Main series Dead or AliveDead or Alive 2Dead or Alive 3Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 5Dead or Alive 6
Spin-offs and related titles Dead or Alive++DOA2: HardcoreDead or Alive UltimateDead or Alive OnlineGirls of DOA BlackJackDead or Alive DimensionsDead or Alive 5+Dead or Alive 5 UltimateDead or Alive 5 Last Round
Dead or Alive Xtreme sub‑series Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach VolleyballDead or Alive Xtreme 2Dead or Alive ParadiseDead or Alive Xtreme 3Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus VacationDead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet
Canceled games Dead or Alive: Code ChronosProject Progressive
Related series Other Koei Tecmo series Ninja Gaiden seriesWarriors seriesFatal Frame seriesSuper Swing GolfDeception series
Third-party Crossovers Virtua Fighter seriesSNK MultiverseSenran Kagura seriesAzur Lane series
Characters
Playable characters Main cast KasumiZackRyu HayabusaBaymanLeifangGen FuTina ArmstrongJann LeeBass Armstrong/Mr. StrongAyaneHelena DouglasLeonEinHayateHitomiBrad WongChristieLa Mariposa/Lisa HamiltonKokoroEliotRigMilaMomijiRachelMarie RosePhase 4NyotenguHonokaTamakiDiegoNiCO
Secondary Kasumi αShidenFalse Kasumi
Final bosses RaidouBankotsuboGenraAlpha-152
Xtreme only MisakiLunaFionaNagisaKannaMonicaSayuriPattyTsukushiLobeliaNanamiEliseKoharuAmyShandyYukino
Guest characters SPARTAN-458Rio Rollins TachibanaAkira YukiSarah BryantPai ChanJacky BryantNaotora IiMai ShiranuiKula Diamond
Non-playable characters Main series Alicia ArmstrongAnastasiaAnneAyameBuraiChenFame DouglasGoldieHitomi's fatherIrene LewIsabellaKuramasan MaousonLaurenMariaMei LinMiyakoMuramasaNikiVictor Donovan
Guest characters RidleySamus Aran
Non-canon characters Max MarshWeatherby
Miscellaneous characters Toreko
Terms
Gameplay modes StoryVersusArcadeTime AttackSurvivalTag BattleTeam BattleTrainingOnlineSpectatorAlbumMoviesFight RecordTitlesHelp & OptionsMusic
Gameplay terms AttacksAttack ChangeBoss BattlesCharacter SelectCliffhangerComboCounter BlowCritical HitDanger ZoneGame OverHoldsKnocked OutMatchMove DataPower BlowPower LauncherReplaySide SteppingSpecial MovesStagesStancesTag ThrowsTriangle System
Plot subjects DOATECDead or Alive World Combat ChampionshipMugen Tenshin clanNinpoNukenin (missing shinobi)Project AlphaProject EpsilonShinobiTengu
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