DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions 3DS

Released on 18/05/2011

• Ocarina 3DS set for June launch

  With industry eyes on Capcom yesterday, Nintendo decided to steal some of the limelight by announcing upcoming software release dates for its three current consoles.

  There a particularly strong 3DS line-up for May and June, with three first-party titles on the slate. First up on 6th May is Steel Diver, which blends side-scrolling aquatic action think Ecco The Dolphin with torpedoes and a 3D periscope mode that uses the console gyroscope as you attempt to sink enemy ships. Best played in a swivel chair, or so we hear.

  Just a fortnight later, Super Street Fighter IV will have a new challenger to its portable beat-em-up crown, as Tecmo Dead Or Alive: Dimensions arrives on 3DS, with Nintendo - perhaps surprisingly, given the game blend of violent scrapping and lovingly-rendered lady lumps - on publishing duties.

  Perhaps most exciting, however, is the news that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will be with us on June 17th. This graphically-enhanced remake is being handled by little-known developer Grezzo Games, though as studio founder Koichi Ishii was the director of SNES classic Secret of Mana, it appears to be in safe hands.

  The humble DS has two corkers in store, too: Nintendo is bringing over Square-Enix superb Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie, as well as localising Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, Namco-Bandai gorgeous action-RPG.

  Meanwhile, June will see American Wii owners get their hands on Wii Play: Motion, sequel to the Wii launch title that was, until Call of Duty: Black Ops, the biggest-selling game of all time in the region. The title a collection of 12 minigames - comes bundled with a Wii Remote Plus. It doesn currently have a European release date, but Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that it will arrive on these shores later in the year.

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  

  The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.
  

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.
  

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.
  

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.
  

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.
  

  
  

  
  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?
  

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).
  

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick.
  

• Dead or Alive: Dimensions

  With Super Street Fighter IV already tearing things up on the Nintendo 3DS, it's nice to hear fighting game fans have even more to look forward to. May sees the release of Team Ninja's Dead or Alive: Dimensions on the handheld, and DOA big cheese Yosuke Hayashi has been talking to the press about the game.

  "Our main reason for choosing the 3DS was creating Dead or Alive from a bit of a different perspective - no pun intended," Hayashi said during an interview with Gamesradar thanks for the spot, VG247. "We could have just continued on consoles the way we had up to this point, but we decided we wanted to give players a portable experience let them hang out together with a bunch of friends and just play it."

  "The 3DS felt like a platform where we could most easily realize that," he continued. "It gave us the opportunity to really flesh out a fresher, portable experience rather than simply doing a direct port. The 3DS simple felt like a good match for what we wanted to do with the game."

  If you're a DOA fan, youe in for a treat. Dimensions will be the 15th game in the series, but it the first game on Nintendo consoles, and in order to celebrate, Team Ninja rolled out its biggest line-up ever, with 25 playable characters.

  This is one game we can wait to get our hands on. Pick it up for yourself when it hits the 3DS on 20th May.

• Dead or Alive: Dimensions Review

  Keeping Abreast

  The words ead or Alivemean different things to different people. For your Average Joe, the phrase conjures up the Wild West, hefty bounties and the faces of people they don like. For someone with a hard rock fetish, the words bring to mind steel horses, loaded six-strings and the possibility of not making it back home. But for fighting game fans, Dead or Alive means only one thing, and that fast-paced combat with the bounciest breasts in the business. But with Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition already standing out as the 3DS fighter of choice, what chance does Dead or Alive: Dimensions have against the World Warrior?
  

  A surprisingly good one, as it turns out, because while Super Street Fighter IV translates only so well to the more restrictive confines of the 3DS analogue stick, the less technical Dead or Alive loses a good deal less in the jump from console to handheld. This is all thanks to a combat system that uses the fighting template of the excellent Dead or Alive 4, along with the less demanding counter scheme from Dead or Alive 3. As a combination of the two, Dimensions offers a flexible combo system with a counter focus that anyone can understand and enjoy.
  

  Still Alive

  Since its inception, Dead or Alive has used a four button setup that preaches one simple mantra: strikes beat throws, throws ruin mistimed counters, and counters punish obvious strikes by dodging the opponents kicks before pile driving them into the tarmac. Dimensions retains this focus, and with the 3D slider turned all the way up, it one of the most visually impressive games currently available on the Nintendo 3DS. Wee even spoiled for choice with the game offering all 25 fighters from Dead or Alive including bosses like Raidou from the 1996 original, and the dimension-bending Alpha-152 from Dead or Alive 4.
  

  In terms of casting, we have an almost perfect split between femme fatales and burley boys. Fighting for the girls are British assassin Christie, all-American wrestler Tina Armstrong, black-belt high-school student Hitomi, and ninja sisters Kasumi and Ayane. Bruce Lee wannabe Jann Lee, ex-serviceman Bayman, master of the drunken fist Brad Wong and Ryu Hayabusa from the brutal Ninja Gaiden series prop up the boy's team. Each familiar face comes with a complete repertoire of martial arts moves as well as some fancy new additions. Dimensions greatest accomplishment is simply how much content it offers the player.
  

  Dead Serious

  The first port of call for solo players will be the Chronicle story mode. This covers the plot from the main series with an unfolding narrative that mixes in-game cut-scenes with pivotal fights that the player must win. And while the subject matter is fairly nonsensical, focusing on ancient demons, ninja clans and cloning experiments, Chronicle does an excellent job of introducing the finer points of the combat system. And by the time youe completed its five short chapters, youl understand the importance of Critical Stun and how to build impressive combos with launchers and mix-ups.
  

  Once youe got a handle for the basics, you can test your skills in the obligatory Arcade and Survival modes with harder paths unlocking as you progress through the varying difficulties. But the most intensive workout comes courtesy of the appropriately titled Tag Challenge mode, which pits you and an AI partner against a computer-controlled opponent with above average health and a firm conviction to see you suffer. The only way to prevail is to work in perfect unison with your teammate, pulling out brutal tag throws and tagging out to regain health. You can also buddy up with a friend over local Wi-Fi.
  

  The Ultimate Street Fighter

  The final pieces in Dimensions comprehensive puzzle are the Training, 3D Photo Album and Internet Play modes. Training is, quite frankly, the best dojo in the genre, as not only does it offer a reflexive command list that highlights your last combo, it also contains detailed frame data allowing you to devise complex strategies for high level play. 3D Photo Album, meanwhile, is a more frivolous distraction that lets you pose character figurines for comical photo opportunities. Internet Play offers a simple matchmaking system that pits you against global opponents through your wireless router. Although the online stability isn anything special, it does a competent job of keeping lag in check.
  

  As a package, Dimensions is one of the most well-rounded games wee ever had the pleasure of playing, and although it can compete with the technical sophistication of Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 when youe sat at home with an arcade stick sitting comfortably on your lap, as a portable slice of fighting action it almost flawless. The only thing that lets it down is the recurring argument that fighting games are too fiddly for portable consoles, and while this rings ever so slightly true, this is still the best street-based fighter ever. And that including SNK vs. Capcom on the NeoGeo Pocket.
  

  

  Alive 'n' kicking:
  + Chronicle mode encourages you to learn.
  + Lots of game modes to keep you busy.
  + The 3D depth is very convincing.

  Dead on arrival:
  - No genuinly 'new' characters.
  - Analogue stick isn't ideal.
  - No proper Tag Team mode.

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  
  

  

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.

  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.

  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.

  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.

  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick!

  Published: 01/04/2012

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