If you really wanted a single player fighter on the 3DS, well, here's your shot. Dead or Alive: Dimensions is the 5th fighting installment of the series, while it doesn't really bring much brand new to the table, the enhancements over the rest of the series definitely makes it worth consideration. Read more after the jump.




At first glance, the gameplay hasn't really changed at all since DoA4. You've got your grabs, holds (counter button), punches and kicks, all that good stuff. However, behind the flashy, bouncy combat, the engine has definitely been tweaked. Gameplay now rides on a triangle system, much like Rock-Paper-Scissors. For example, if the opponent uses a strike (punch/kick), the player must use the correct hold to stop it.
If the player throws a hold haphazardly, the opponent can utilize a grab to safely punish them for it. Quick strikes will always beat out grab users. If you've played Fire Emblem, it's kind of like that, only a lot faster.

This works pretty well for folks just getting into the series, however it is really subtle, and there isn't much need to take advantage of it until you reach DoA's trademark ballcrushing difficulty curve. I do salute the game for building a quite effective tutorial for all of this into the story mode, which leads me to my next point!

Chronicle Mode is where the game's plot comes rolling in. Nothing new here if you've played previous DoA titles. However, unlike the previous installments, DoA: Dimensions attempts to tie the events of the 4 games together with a somewhat cohesive narrative. I actually learned some things about a few characters I never would have known before, perhaps this is Team Ninja's way of showing they've grown up a bit? Take it for what it is though, this is a fighting game, and more importantly, a Team Ninja game, you're not getting War and Peace or something. I was also pretty disappointed that they didn't focus on any characters outside of ninja characters, but that's more of a personal disappointment than anything.

For $40 there's a lot to enjoy in the package, with more on the way thanks to the 3DS' SpotPass feature. 1 new costume is made available per day over the service, although it's just an on-cartridge unlock, it'll keep you coming back for at least a few days. SpotPass also allows you to download Team Ninja ghost characters, who are pretty damned tough. Fighting them allows you to unlock more statues for the game's somewhat creepy figurine collection/posing mode.

Joining Arcade, Chronicle and Versus mode is the Tag Challenge mode, and it means challenge for real. Towards the end you'll start fighting tag battles against boss characters of the series, and this mode is where DoA's painful difficulty curve comes back with a vengeance. There is also the new (and previously mentioned) Collection mode, where figurines of characters you've unlocked can be posed on stages and viewed in 3D, kind of like a perverted Smash Bros.

The usage of 3D in this game is actually quite nice. If you've played Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, you know what to expect. The frame rate is halved down to 30 when in 3D mode, but combat remains pretty smooth overall. However, much like SSFIV3D, the effects can get rather disorienting after a while. Given Dead or Alive's trademark usage of stage destruction, spastic camera movement and explosions of bright lights in stages like Danger Zone, your eyes may begin bleeding after a while. 3D on or off, Dead or Alive is probably one of the prettiest games on the 3DS. Team Ninja, as expected from their track record, really bring out the power the handheld.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions is probably Team Ninja's best outing in the series. With 25 playable characters (the only non-returning character is Nicole-458, the Spartan cameo from Dead or Alive 4), this game has plenty of content to enjoy. The gameplay still doesn't lend itself well to more hardcore fighting gamers, and the new combat system mechanics do little to change that. However, it's a great entry point for new fans of the series, and old fans will have a blast with it.

Overall: B+

Dead or Alive: Dimensions on Amazon
$39.99