Dead or Alive Ultimate: A Video Game Review

I picked up Dead or Alive Ultimate when I suddenly found myself nostalgic for the Street Fighter days of my youth. I missed the mindless fun of kicking the crud out of muscular ninjas and scantily clad women alike. After taking a quick survey of the current fighter games, Dead or Alive was a title that came up again and again with a reputation for being a superb game even while it is not a next-gen console game. With a little more searching, I decided that Dead or Alive Ultimate would be the best choice to satisfy my thirst for combat without straining my wallet.

Dead or Alive Ultimate is actually a collector's edition that has two game discs. One disc is the original Dead or Alive, and the other is the thankfully improved Dead or Alive 2. The original Dead or Alive leaves something to be desired if you're looking for an up-to-date and technically superior game. With antiquated graphics, a lack of variety in locations, and formulaic and limited fight moves, I found Dead or Alive 1 to be extremely boring. However, for the gamer who wants something more closely akin to the arcade fighter games of yore, Dead or Alive 1 might be fun. Overall, though, this half of the two disc collector set is geared more for the die-hard, must-have-it-all Dead or Alive fanatic.

Thankfully, Dead or Alive 2 picks up a lot of the slack from the first half of the set and delivers some much-appreciated, upgraded action. Visually, the game immediately pulls the player in with a beautifully executed introduction sequence evocative of the amazing FMV scenes of the Final Fantasy series. Even more impressive, the high caliber of the graphics are maintained throughout the game's fighting scenes. The backgrounds of the multiple locations are also quite stunning and detailed. The soundtrack rounds off the game nicely, with a medley of recognizable rock songs as well as specially composed tunes.