Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate | Bringing tag team to your console

Team Ninja has created another version of their high kicking fighter and Konami has recently released Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Ultimate comes packing some additional features found in the Vita’s Plus version that were not available to DOA5 on the consoles. On top of previously seen and requested play modes, Ultimate also includes classic stages and new fighters, Rachel and Momiji from Ninja Gaiden. The same fun and anatomically exaggerated brawler experienced in DOA5 is there, but the majority of the of the new options are dedicated to the online play, with arcade style matches and tournaments. We have had our time with Plus, it is time to bring that same experience to the big screen.

I will start with my favorite new feature to Plus that is now available on the console, 2 on 2 tag play in online matches. Throughout my time spent trying to win against the bad of the bad, I had no problem finding people to challenge, unfortunately that did not really help me. I have always enjoyed but equally sucked at this brawler in comparison to the 2D fighters, luckily the improved tutorial is also included from the portable version. Similar to the 2D Street Fighter, Ultimate has added character points, grades, and titles to show off accomplishments or to make me feel warm and fuzzy winning an online match after a long losing streak. The bad, this is easily the lobby music, sure it sounds hip and got me amped for my first match, but it looping over and over again soon became tortuous. I said finding opponents was no challenge, the caveat to that is if you open up the filters there is no problem, but once you starting tweaking online settings, the community dwindles.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate was exactly what I expected, a more polished version of DOA 5 with the inclusion of previous DLC and new content. I would easily suggest that anyone who has not had the chance to experience DOA 5 would benefit most as this is how the game was meant to be played. As someone that already owns Plus on the Vita, it would be a hard sell to get me to purchase again to play from my console. For those that already own DOA 5 and do not want to pony up more money for the new features, there is Core Fighters, which is a Free to Play experience with the same gameplay seen in Ultimate but without the Story Mode and vast selection of fighters and costumes, those come with a price tag. Dead or Alive Ultimate is available now for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for the price of $39.99.

DOA: Dimensions gets a MashButtons Review

The second fighting title for the 3DS has been out for about a week now and with its release being just before Blazblue hits store shelves, it's got some pretty stiff competition. It is beginning to feel like the 3DS is a solid platform for fighting titles and DOA is another great example of why. Team Ninja is back with the Dead or Alive franchise, this time around toting new features like 3D of course along with multiplayer, both local and online, one on one and tag matches, and a roster consisting of 20 fighters. But most notably for new comers to series and fans of the series is the ability to relive the story lines from the original up through the latest release, Dead or Alive 4. So let's get the show started and see if we finally have a title to take Super Street Fighter IV off its pedestal.

To start, this is like if not better than playing any of the previous Dead or Alive titles, in terms of graphics and gameplay. The storyline is nothing new but is nice to play the previous versions of the games on a portable device. The thing I liked most is the controls, as it is not as easy to spam specials against your opponents like in Super Street Fighter IV. The online matches are easy to find although I think that either players are better or the specials are harder as it is harder to win the online matches. 3D visuals are more subtle so it adds depth without straining your eyes after prolonged gameplay. There is a lot of replay value with the online gameplay, but the biggest reason for continuously picking up and playing Dimensions is the scheduled DLC and challenges, so you continuously get free costumes and challenges to keep things fresh, that and the bouncing boobies.

The bad, well first off would be the story. I am not the first to say that stories in fighting games lack substance as it is hard to enjoy watching a long cutscene only to play a one to two minute fight just to watch another cutscene. Sure the stories over the course of the series are not bad, but there is not enough gameplay to justify the amount of cutscenes. Also, I had to play through the chronicle in order unlock other fighters to be used online so you are pushed into playing through the stories to play as your favorite fighters online. Luckily, you can skip the cutscenes to move onto the next match. I did not notice much in the way of bugs or lag, but there is still lag and does not play quite as smoothly as the 3DS launch fighter, Super Street Fighter IV.

All in all, this is my go to fighting title for the 3DS as I had always liked the series, it looks great, the girls kick high, it isn’t hard to find matches online, and have played about as much as I can of SSFIV. Though it is not the best fighter out there, but is a good transition for those that are getting tired of Super Street Fighter IV. Also, with BlazBlue coming out next week, I am not sure how it will hold up in the collection of 3D fighters, but is definitely a contender with the free DLC costumes and challenges. I give DOA: Dimensions an 8 out of 10, and hope to see you online against my Hyabusa and Tina.