Gaming Dead or Alive

[Kent]

I'm looking into fighting games for the box.

I understand DOA 3 is out now. Correct?

Then there is DOA online, which is coming out soon. Correct?

Then there is the far off future in which DOA 4 will be coming. (fall 2004 I believe)

I wondered what you guys thought of DOA 3 in all aspects of game quality from charactors to control schemes.

Is it worth getting, or should I pick up online when it comes out?

Any comparisons with other Xbox fighters are welcome, all though I must admit that Im not really looking into getting a copy of SCII since I already got tired of whipping the ps2 version.

Thanks for any discussion, this should help me quite a bit.

[Ashura]

Its not a bad game. Kinda short as a 1 player experience, but is great fun for multiplayer. Its actually my favourite 3D fighting game at the moment.
The controls aren't that hard to get used to, and there's a fairly good training mode to help you get used to it. Also, its now part of X-Box's Classics Range, so it wouldn't be a bad time to buy it if you don't mind a shorter single player experience than other fighting games, and a great party game (it has a tag mode for up to 4 players as well).

Unfortunately, I have heard from a few reliable sources that DOA: Online may be basically an XBox Live-enabled version of DOA3. So it comes down to personal preference. If you can wait, go for DOA: Online. If not, you could get DOA3 now, and trade it in later, closer to the DOA: Online release date. Or you could not get it at all. Don't just take my word for it though. What does everyone else think of it?

[Semjaza]

I'm not a fan of the DOA series whatsoever, but outside of SC2... it's probably the best one on the system.

[Charles]

I've had Dead Or Alive 3 since launch. It was really one of the must-own premiere titles for me as there wasn't much else that stood out other than Halo and Project Gotham Racing.

I'd say the game is good for what it is, which is a face-paced arcade brawler. It's not nearly as complex as Virtua Fighter 4, Tekken 4, or Soul Calibur 2. But, the reversal system really stands out, and the overall gameplay is solid. The stage designs are expansive to say the least and are interactive to a certain extent (although you won't necessarily have much time to explore). And, impressively enough, I have never encountered any clipping or camera issues. I can't stress how important that is. Camera issues completely ruined Tao Fang.

From what I understand, the online version will feature the characters of DOA 3 but the stages of DOA 2. I've not read up on it in a while, but that information should still be accurate barring a change I didn't know about or something.

It might actually be the better buy for you considering Dead or Alive 3 is a bit slim options-wise. You won't find interesting diversions like the ones found in the Virtua Fighter 4 games, Tekken 4, or Soul Calibur 2.

If you want the best fighter on the system, however, you should check out Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. It's almost a year old but it holds up admirably with the current crop of fighters. I still prefer it to Soul Calibur 2. And, there is plenty of bang for your buck considering all the extra content involved.

[Kent]

Dead or Alive Online is not really a new game, but more of a compilation. The game contains full versions of the first Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2, now outfitted with online play. The game was still not playable at TGS, but series creator, Tomonobu Itagaki, was on hand to give a short demo of the game, more specifically DOA 2.

During character selection, Itagaki chose Kasumi as his player. There were five costumes immediately available, the best of which was a special black Xbox top and skirt. In fact, the outfit was the same one being worn by Microsoft's booth babes. For reference, check our booth babe report for some images of hot Japanese women in the said outfits here. After choosing a character, the game seemed to go into a watch mode where a battle took place, though no one was actually playing it.

Visually, DOA Online is looking just as good as the beautiful DOA 3. Character models are insanely smooth, and the environments are looking just as nice...and destructible. In the trailer shown before the presentation, a level that takes place in a field of grass littered with cacti was shown, and it looked amazing. Players can even be slammed into the cacti for a bit of extra damage. And then there was Lisa's costume. In traditional quirky DOA fashion, Lisa was wearing a giant wrestling belt and a long, flowing cape with a US flag printed on it. A must-see, if you get the chance.

(ign.com, Hwang)

This is a qoute from an ign article by ____ hwang.

Tells the story to an extent, or atleast gives us a glimpse of the future for doa.

Personally, Im looking forward to this.

I don't really wanna buy doa 3 with this on the horizon.

So basically, now it's just a matter of waiting for doa online to come out.

I should mention that one thing I've come to love about doa is the simple nature of the fighting, the awesome reversal system, the great stage designs, and the charactor designs.

I've been playing tekken, soul blade, and virtua fighter since way, WAY back and in all that time I never took a look at doa.

Although this may seem like bad news for doa, it's actually good. I got burnt out on all the other games. I was tired of the charactors and even dissappointed at times with the constant revisions to elements of game play that I thought were already perfect. (such as the awesome depth to lei in tekken3 and the sudden easy/cheapness of his moves in tekken tag/4.)

Its almost like I had been playing test drive and need4speed all my life and then suddenly found automodelista. (although everyone on the board should know I dont waste any of my time on those games... gt3 all the way baby. :cool: )

Anyway, thanks for wieghing in on this one you guys. I would appreciate any further discussion...

Im actually getting back into one of my favs, doa 2:hc.

Hopefully I will see some more replys to this, but should that not happen... oh well.