Dead or Alive (デッドオアアライブ, Deddo oa Araibu^?) is a video game series produced by Tecmo that comprises primarily fighting games. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. This is a list of Video game franchises organised alphabetically by name (formerly known as Tehkan Ltd) is a Japanese Video game corporation that is best known for the Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive A fighting game (also referred as a versus fighting game, competitive fighting game, tournament fighting game or head-to-head fighting game) The story and characters are the creation of Tomonobu Itagaki, and the game was developed by Tecmo's Team Ninja development team. is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting games and the Ninja Gaiden 3D titles Team Ninja is a Video game development studio formerly led by Tomonobu Itagaki which was founded in 1995

Gameplay

The Dead or Alive series focuses on fast-paced gameplay in a three-dimensional playing field. In comparison to other fighters in its genre, such as Virtua Fighter, the series places emphasis on striking characters quickly and efficiently. Virtua Fighter is a 1993 Fighting game developed for the Sega Model 1 arcade platform by AM2, a development group Air juggling is a factor in the series, but is easier to execute and more favorable due to the countering system and characters' recovery times, which prevents slow, technical sets of moves in most instances.

One of DOA's most innovative additions to the genre is its countering system. Beginning from the original Dead or Alive, players could input a backwards directional input in cooperation with the respective guard button to defend against a character's attack while dealing significant damage to the victim's life bar. Counter holds must be timed correctly with an attack, and also must be executed correspondingly with the area of attack. For example, a character that successfully counters a low kick attack from another player must time the input as well as place a downward directional push on the joystick.

Like other modern fighting games that attempt to emulate the real life martial arts, DOA's input system is modeled on the controls to correspond to the actions being carried out by the avatar; a forward directive punch would most likely be executed with the punch input and the pressing of the directional pad in the appropriate direction.

The series controls also make the instances of speed and simplicity more congruent with the focus of timing and combos in mind, as the commands for basic attacks are widely considered more straightforward than most video games. There is only one button for punch, kick, throw and guard, with the player rarely having to combine more than two different input schemes together at a time.

Such an ease of control creates a rock paper scissors mentality and essentially boils everything down to timing, and how well you know your enemy's style.

In Dead or Alive 2, the series became innovative once again with its tag fighting system, allowing characters to switch back and forth for combo attacks and even attack simultaneously when timed correctly. The tag mode also implemented special throws unique to each pair of characters chosen, and allows the participation of a four player mode, something not common in the genre.

Inspiration and development

Helena and Lei Fang demonstrate the series ability to use combination throws with a partner in tag battle mode, against Ayane. is a fictional Video game character from the Video game series Dead or Alive.

The DOA series is designed by programmer Tomonobu Itagaki, who is regarded by the game development community for his outspoken and stubborn nature in the development of the series. Before the release of the original Dead or Alive, Itagaki had recently become a programmer for Tecmo, which was in need of a hit to boost sagging game sales. (formerly known as Tehkan Ltd) is a Japanese Video game corporation that is best known for the Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive In this vein, Itagaki made a wager with the head of the company, assuring the president he would create a video game that would garner a competent fan base.

Because of the wager, Itagaki named the series "Dead or Alive" to demonstrate the series' fail or succeed status and proceeded to form a division in the company named "Team Ninja". Revealed in a December 2004 interview by Game Informer magazine, Itagaki's inspiration for the series derived from the Fatal Fury series in Japan and the Mortal Kombat series in America. Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American -based monthly magazine featuring articles news strategy and reviews of is a Fighting game series developed by SNK for the Neo Geo system In the development, he based DOA's fast gameplay and sexual appeal from the former, and the series' ability to knock opponents off landscapes from the latter:

"I wanted to do something that would attract people's attention as I worked on the DOA game. Of course, DOA is known for its bouncing breasts. Well, I didn't come up with that idea originally. I actually got the idea from one of SNK's 2D fighting games Garou Densetsu. is a Fighting game series developed by SNK for the Neo Geo system Of course, when I applied it to a 3D game, it was almost too much for people.

And of course, it hurts to fall off from high places in DOA, but the idea came from Mortal Kombat. In the case of Mortal Kombat, the 2D fighter, the character falls off and he simply dies. That ends the game. That's it. But we figured it would be more interesting to have the character continue to fight after the fall. And that's what we did"

On Itagaki's view on how he wished the series to contribute to the fighting genre, he replied, "To answer your latter question about how I want DOA to be remembered, I want people to remember DOA as a game that was very aggressive and combative. As to the first question - how it contributed to the fighting genre - I look at it as something similar to how sushi was released in this country and became mainstream. In Japanese cuisine, is Vinegared Rice, usually topped with other ingredients including fish various meats and vegetables You know, like, some people like graphics, some people like animation, some like flashy character design and so forth. Through DOA, we want to reach out to those people and become somewhat of a mainstream game. "^[1]

Plot

Gen Fu vs. Kasumi in the Dead or Alive Ultimate remake of the original Sega Saturn game. Dead or Alive Ultimate is a multiplayer fighting game for the Xbox. A video game remake is an updated and re-released version of a previous Video game. The is a 32-bit Video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America

The Dead or Alive series revolves around the various motives and goals of skilled martial artists and their participation in a fictional world-wide fighting tournament named the "Dead or Alive tournament", held by a massive corporation called DOATEC (Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee) who runs the competition regularly for unknown motives. Helena is a character from the Dead or Alive Video game series created by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo. The tournament is held in arenas around the world, ranging from the North Pole to the Amazon rainforest. In the first Dead or Alive, characters were described in the story as attempting to enter the tournament for personal reasoning, such as Zack entering for profit and the runaway kunoichi Kasumi using the tournament as means to take revenge upon her traitorous uncle, Raidou. Dead or Alive is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Overview Tomonobu Itagaki has stated that he was dissatisfied Zack is a character from the Dead or Alive video game series History Dead or Alive After hearing about the tournament Zack enters Kunoichi (くノ一 is the term for a female Ninja or practitioner of Ninpo. is a fictional Japanese character from the Dead or Alive Video game franchise In the conclusion of this tournament, Kasumi kills Raidou but cannot return to her village despite her honorable motives due to ninja society's strict laws upon the departure of clan members.

The following game, Dead or Alive 2 takes place after the original in an undisclosed timeframe, (though within the same year due to the characters' retention of their chronological ages from the original game) with the world's peace and stability threatened by a super creature known as the Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo. Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series It is also discovered in this tournament, that Kasumi's brother Hayate has recovered from injuries sustained from a previous fight with Raidou, but was recently captured and used as a test subject by DOATEC to carry out a bio weapon experiment codenamed Epsilon and then subsequently discarded. In this iteration, several characters (including the opera singer Helena, the mercenary Leon and the kunoichi Ayane) are introduced into the storyline and also enter the tournament in pursuit of their personal aspirations. Helena is a character from the Dead or Alive Video game series created by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo. is a Video game character from the Dead or Alive Video game series In the end, Ryu defeated Tengu and thus, becoming the 2nd DOA Tournament winner.

The third game, Dead or Alive 3 takes place shortly after Ryu Hayabusa's defeat of the Gohyakumine Bankotsu-bo and features a similar premise. Dead or Alive 3 is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series is the protagonist and the Player character of the Ninja Gaiden series Personality Ryu has the demeanor and wisdom of a man far older than himself due to his However, the main plot begins to revolve around the dealings of the DOATEC committee and it is revealed they perform experiments on various test subjects in an attempt to create the ultimate fighter. With the populace and fighters vastly unaware of DOATEC's wrongdoings, the company continues their experiments proceeding the Epsilon and Alpha stages, initiating the Omega project and transforming a ninja named Genra into a vicious being with no memories of his past life. DOATEC then proceeds to hold a third tournament, using the premise of the fighting arena as a test bed for Omega's abilities. This game concludes its story with the ninja known as Ayane destroying the Omega entity and the introduction of three more fighters, Hitomi, Brad Wong and Christie. is a Video game character from the Dead or Alive Video game series is a fictional German character from the Dead or Alive Video game series is a character from the Dead or Alive Video game series with her first appearance being in the third game of the franchise The Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball installment occurs immediately after the conclusion of the third tournament, where the Muay Thai kickboxer Zack, wins a large sum of money at a casino and buys his own tropical island. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAX is a Beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 for the Xbox Video Zack is a character from the Dead or Alive video game series History Dead or Alive After hearing about the tournament Zack enters He then tricks the female entrees of the tournament into staying at his island resort for a two week-long vacation.

Dead or Alive 4 depicts the previous games' attempts of DOATEC to produce the ultimate bio-weapon and continue their operations. Dead or Alive 4 ( DOA4) is a Fighting game developed by Team Ninja for the Xbox 360 Video game console. DOA 4 reveals the existence of a product of the Alpha project and a clone of Kasumi, who employs powerful energy and battle tactics. This iteration also establishes the knowledge of various fighters discovering the true nature of the organization and in the climax of the tournament set out to stop its evil deed.

Games

Main series

Dead or Alive has spawned five canonical sequels which have continued the storyline. This article is not about Literary canons of influential works of fiction but about the concept of a canon which defines the world of a particular fictional series Of the six games in total, four of them focus on the fighting genre of gameplay. This number excludes the numerous updated editions, ports and remakes of each title.

The cover of Dead or Alive for the Sega Saturn

The original Dead or Alive was inspired by Virtua Fighter, as noted by Itagaki in an interview. Dead or Alive is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Overview Tomonobu Itagaki has stated that he was dissatisfied Virtua Fighter is a 1993 Fighting game developed for the Sega Model 1 arcade platform by AM2, a development group In comparison to other 3D fighters such as Tekken which gained a substantial market base in Japan and North America, DOA introduced a countering system unique to the genre and an added emphasis on speed, as well as a rich graphics engine that lacked many jaggies and incorporated very smooth surfaces. For other meanings see Tekken. Tekken is a Fighting game and is the first of the series of the same name "Jaggies" is the informal name for Aliasing artifacts in Raster images often caused by non-linear mixing effects producing high-frequency components The original DOA was first released for the Sega Saturn and arcades in 1996. The is a 32-bit Video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America In graphical comparison, the arcade version featured superior detail, using fully three-dimensional backgrounds and high quality music. When released for the Saturn, the game sacrificed quality in the character models and used pre-rendered images for background stages. ^[2] Additionally, in a review of the game's moveset, it was discovered by players that the move lists included were not aligned properly with the game. ^[3] In 1998, a PlayStation version was released in Japan, with the North American and European versions following shortly thereafter. The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console It introduced new characters, improved graphics, "remixed" stage designs and additional unlockable costumes for the player. This was also re-released in the arcades and named Dead or Alive ++ due to its upgraded content. ^[1]

The second installment, Dead or Alive 2, was released in 2000, and like its predecessor improved upon the graphics engine by using NAOMI hardware. Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series ^[2] Notable features included introducing CG cutscenes in line with the plot, replacing the original "danger zone areas" in stages with fully intractable ones, allowing players to juggle each other into walls, propelling characters from landmarks for more damage (the first game to implement this feature was Samurai Shodown 64) and upon completing the game, presenting the player with (sometimes ambiguous) endings for each character using the game's standard engine. Samurai Shodown 64, known simply as in Japan is a 3D fighting game produced by SNK for its Hyper Neo-Geo 64 system

Dead or Alive 2 has spawned the most upgrades and remakes in the series to date, with the original North American Dreamcast version and arcade version serving as the starting point. The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. When the PlayStation 2 was launched in Japan, a DOA2 version was released for it as well. Although this version was considered graphically inferior to any of the previous versions, lacked the 4 player Tag Team feature, and was never released outside of Japan, it did include extra backgrounds and costumes. The extras from this PS2 version were then included in the belated Japanese Dreamcast release,[1] which was available in both Regular Edition and Limited Edition versions. The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. Another remake was released in October of that year for the PlayStation 2 in North America, re-dubbed "DOA2: Hardcore". This version provided improvements larger in scope than any previous franchise entry. It expanded the unlockable costumes, amended graphical problems prevalent in the Dreamcast versions, added new game modes and included English voice acting. The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. (Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore is the only installment in the series with the ability to switch between English and Japanese voice acting. ) After this, a final version of DOA2 was released in Japan dubbed Dead or Alive 2: Hard*core which was essentially the North American/European version but with a few extras; it was considered the most up to date version until the Xbox version.

In 2004, after the release of Dead or Alive 3, Team Ninja once again remade DOA2, this time for the Xbox system. In the planning stages, this new game was named Dead or Alive Online for its addition of online support. On January 14, it was renamed to Dead or Alive Ultimate and promised fresh content, additional characters and an upgraded version of the original Dead or Alive for the Sega Saturn. According to Tecmo, the name change was due to ". . Ultimate would more accurately describe the feeling players feel upon experiences with the game". ^[4]

Dead or Alive 3 was released for the Xbox as one of the system’s launch titles for American gamers (as well as Japanese and European). Dead or Alive 3 is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series As with previous facets of the series, it took advantage of the system's power to push the range of the graphics and stage sizes farther than DOA2. However, it lacked in unlockable content compared to Hardcore and controls were somewhat more lenient to allow players new to the series to adapt to gameplay. Dead or Alive 3 was one of the best-selling installments in the series; in 2002 Tecmo announced the game had reached sales of over one million copies. ^[5]

Dead or Alive 4 was released later in 2005 as a launch title for the Xbox 360 platform. Dead or Alive 4 ( DOA4) is a Fighting game developed by Team Ninja for the Xbox 360 Video game console. Initially held back by retailers,^[6] like Ultimate it included Online support where players could interact in a similar fashion to an arcade setting, fighting opponents at win/loss intervals. Nevertheless, like DOA3, the game featured a low number of costumes and numerous series characters now had to be unlocked by the player.

Dead or Alive Online is currently in development for the PC platform. Dead or Alive ONLINE ( DOA OL or DOA O) is a PC-based online version of the Dead or Alive arcade game 3D fighter series It is expected to be released in China shortly before the 2008 Summer Olympics, with an unspecified worldwide release sometime later. ^[7]

*The fate of these releases is uncertain due to Itagaki's dispute with Tecmo. Dead or Alive is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Overview Tomonobu Itagaki has stated that he was dissatisfied Dead or Alive is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Overview Tomonobu Itagaki has stated that he was dissatisfied In the design of Java Web applications there are two commonly-used design models referred to as Model 1 and Model 2. The is a 32-bit Video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in businesses such as Restaurants Pubs Video arcades and Family Entertainment The is a 32-bit Video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series The following is a list of Arcade system boards released by Sega. The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in businesses such as Restaurants Pubs Video arcades and Family Entertainment The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in businesses such as Restaurants Pubs Video arcades and Family Entertainment Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Dead or Alive 2 ( DOA2) is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series Dead or Alive 3 is a Fighting game in the Dead or Alive series The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAX is a Beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 for the Xbox Video The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. Dead or Alive Ultimate is a multiplayer fighting game for the Xbox. The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. Dead or Alive 4 ( DOA4) is a Fighting game developed by Team Ninja for the Xbox 360 Video game console. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 ( DOAX2) is a Video game for the Xbox 360 Game console. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Dead Or Alive Code Chronos ( The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. is a Video game series produced by Tecmo that is primarily composed of Fighting games The story and characters are the creation of Tomonobu Itagaki Dead or Alive ONLINE ( DOA OL or DOA O) is a PC-based online version of the Dead or Alive arcade game 3D fighter series A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated

Side series

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball was released in 2003, shortly after DOA3 and is set immediately after the conclusion of the tournament in regards to the plot. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAX is a Beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 for the Xbox Video The gameplay revolves around the women of the series playing various mini-games about the many locations of Zack Island, a reclusive private resort. This installment features no fighting engine, instead being much like a simulation game that encourages the player to establish relationships with the AI of characters, and eventually make a two-person team to compete in volleyball competitions. "Zack dollars" earned from completing mini-games allows the player to purchase hundreds of different swimsuits, some of which range from regular to extremely provocative. According to Itagaki, who revealed the basis for the game in an interview with G4, he claims to have taken note of fan's wish for a beach ball mini-game in DOA2. A sequel for this game, merely called Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 has been released for the Xbox 360. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 ( DOAX2) is a Video game for the Xbox 360 Game console.

A side-story game, named Dead or Alive: Code Chronos, is also in production for the Xbox 360, and was confirmed in the July 2006 edition of Play Magazine by Itagaki to ". Dead Or Alive Code Chronos ( . . not be a fighting game" and instead act as a prequel to the series proper, relaying the history of ninjas Ayane and Kasumi. Earlier reports had implied the character of Helena would be more heavily involved. ^[8]

Dead or Alive 5

About the 5th installment in the series, designer Tomonobu Itagaki stated in November 2006 that he had the first play concepts in mind,^[9] but in a May 2008 interview with UK-based video game magazine Computer and Video Games, he stated of the Dead or Alive series: "This is another area that me and my closest colleagues all agree that we were able to achieve the definitive fighting game with DOA4. is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting games and the Ninja Gaiden 3D titles The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Computer and Video Games ( CVG) is a Video game Magazine and website published in the United Kingdom. So we're not looking to extend the series at this point. "^[10].

In a released statement on June 3rd 2008, Itagaki annouced he will be resigning from Tecmo on July 1st due to business troubles with President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Itagaki stated that unfortunately, this would lead to the end of production for the game and its series. ^[11]

However, Tecmo responded on June 5th 2008, by announcing that far from abandoning the Dead Or Alive series and The Ninja Gaiden series, it had several new games in development for both of them. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common They also added that, contrary to widespread belief, Team Ninja--the studio Itagaki headed up--would not be disbanded after the main man left the building.

Film adaptation

A feature film, DOA: Dead or Alive, directed by Corey Yuen and starring Devon Aoki, Jaime Pressly, Holly Valance, Sarah Carter and Natassia Malthe was released in the U.S. on June 15, 2007, without press screenings. In the Film industry, a feature film is a Film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening DOA Dead or Alive Corey Yuen Kwai ( is a Hong Kong Actor, Film director and producer Devon Edwenna Aoki (born August 10 1982 is an American Supermodel and actress. Jaime Elizabeth Pressly (born July 30, 1977) is an American Golden Globe Award -nominated Emmy Award -winning Actress Holly Rachel Vukadinović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Вукадиновић born 11 May 1983 who is better known by her Stage name of Holly Valance, is Sarah Carter ( October 30, 1980) is a Canadian actress Biography Early life Born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba Natassia Malthe (born 19 January 1974 is a half Norwegian /Filipino model and actress. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[12]

Controversy

The Dead or Alive series' use of female characters to attract attention is viewed by some as controversial. [2]

Toby Gard, the creator of Tomb Raider and its female protagonist Lara Croft noted his view on the sex appeal of Dead or Alive. Toby Gard is a Computer game character Designer and Consultant. Tomb Raider is a Video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. Lara Croft is a Fictional character and the protagonist of Eidos Interactive 's Tomb Raider video game series In response to a query that supported Lara was a large part of introducing sex appeal into video games and how this had an impact on the gaming industry, Toby replied: ". . . I don't think it's wrong or bad in any way, really, it just seems to be getting out of hand with the old Xtreme Beach ball scenarios. I think that's going a tad too far. That's not really empowering anyone. "^[13]

Connection with the new Ninja Gaiden

Ninja Gaiden was revived by Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja. While the new Ninja Gaiden was in progress by Team Ninja, Itagaki had it linked to Dead or Alive. The new Ninja Gaiden game was a 'reboot' to its universe and instead of continuing the original NES story, the game became a prequel to the first DOA game.

Ryu Hayabusa, one of the DOA characters, is the main protagonist of Ninja Gaiden. is the protagonist and the Player character of the Ninja Gaiden series Personality Ryu has the demeanor and wisdom of a man far older than himself due to his Before the existence of DOA, he was moved to the fighting video game. He plays a major role in the game and he's the 2nd DOA Tournament winner.

See also

• List of Dead or Alive characters

References

External links

• DOA Central
• The RPFA: DOA Girl Fansite
• Article of Dead or Alive series at Hardcore Gaming 101