Dead or Alive: Dimensions

Overview

Dead Or Alive: Dimensions is the fifth installment in the Team Ninja's Dead Or Alive series. It follows the same gameplay as its predecessors, featuring one-on-one combat with many different styles of martial arts on multi-tiered levels. The game does not continue the story very far after Dead Or Alive 4, but spans the history of the Dead Or Alive series from Dead Or Alive 1 to Dead Or Alive 4. Also there is a playable demo of this game available to download off the eshop free of charge.

Changes from series

Although gameplay has appeared to be similar to Dead Or Alive 4, not all stages will be returning. Players will be able to choose from fifteen different stages, spanning from all four games, with the inclusion of new stages as well.

Character-wise, the game features 25 playable characters, making Dead Or Alive: Dimensions have the largest roster than any of the previous installments. Also, all final bosses are playable.

Chronicle mode, a new gameplay option, allows first time players to learn the basics of holds, counters, grabs, and combos, while also telling the story, bring new players up-to-date.

A minor addition to the title screen is the fact that it supports the 3DS' built-in gyroscope, so you can essentially view the area the title is in "through" the 3DS by moving it in a yawing motion.

Characters

There are twenty-five selectable characters; only twenty are playable from the start. Only 24 characters are confirmed to be playable thus far:

• Ayane
• Bass Armstrong
• Bayman
• Brad Wong
• Christie
• Ein
• Eliot
• Gen Fu
• Hayate
• Helena Douglas
• Hitomi
• Jann Lee
• Kasumi
• Kokoro
• Lei Fang
• Leon
• Lisa
• Ryu Hayabusa
• Tina Armstrong
• Zack
• Raidou (locked)
• Tengu (locked)
• Omega (locked)
• Alpha-152 (locked)
•  ??? (locked)

Stages

A notable stage is the one based on a section of the bottle ship in Metroid: Other M, where Samus fought Ridley. Ridley and Samus Aran make appearances in the stage, where Ridley occasionally attacks a player. He also grabs the player if he or she falls into the lava, which results in an instant knockout every time.

Other confirmed stages include:

• Kyoto In Bloom
• Biolab Core
• DOATEC Germany
• Danger Zone
• DOATEC Great Hall
• Azuchi
• Lorelei
• Tritower Heliport
• Miyama
• Waterfall Valley
• White Storm

Wireless Features

Like Super Street Fighter, Dead Or Alive Dimensions will use StreetPass, SpotPass, along with local wireless and online play using a Nintendo WFC connection. Notably, while all other wireless features will be identical to Super Street Fighter IV 3D, SpotPass for Dead Or Alive is unique in that Team Ninja is promising a new figurine every day from release for a month through SpotPass. In the storyline, co-op gameplay is available through "tag mode" when fighting other AI-controlled enemies.

Reception

The Japanese magazine Famistu gave Dead or Alive: Dimensions a 36/40, making it their second highest rated 3DS game. Reception from any other critics has still been unheard of, probably due to the delay in Japan and the months still to come for a release date in North America.

Release

Dead Or Alive Dimensions is slated to release on May 31, 2011 in North America. Team Ninja has delayed the game in Japan from March 24, 2011 to "TBA", possibly because of the recent earthquake to strike the country.

On the 12th April, as part of Nintendo of Europe's Spring/Summer 2011 games line-up, Dead or Alive Dimensions was given an EU release date of the 20th May 2011.