Author Information
Menu
Navigation
Scribol
|
by TheDCD on 05.30.11  Playing Dead Or Alive: Dimensions, I immediately thought back to the time I was watching the DOA: Dead Or Alive movie. Y’know, the one that cast My Name Is Earl’s Jamie Pressly as Tina? Anyway, the reason for the comparison was the pure cheesiness of it all. Is this a game that should be regarded seriously? Of course not. It’s a fighting game, yes, and there are techniques to be learned here, but it’s nowhere near the serious magnitude of other fighting series. That said, like the movie, it’s a romp – and as a bonus, you don’t have to put up with Eric Roberts in this product (though he’d easily fit in it).
The game is a smorgasbord of content taken from the previous four Dead Or Alive games, with 25 characters to choose from (sans the Master Chief look-alike in DOA 4) and a variety of backgrounds to fight in. The main draw of the game is the Chronicle Mode, where you take on a variety of missions and fight through opponents, eventually unlocking new missions as you go along that get increasingly tougher. It ties into a storyline that’s borderline absurd, with the kind of cheesy cut scenes that make you wonder if the Shaw Brothers were involved in the production somehow. Still, it’s how the game plays that matter, and outside of a few over-the-top counters that were beyond questionable, Dimensions plays just like a traditional DOA game. You’ll have no problem chaining together combos and pulling off power moves to beat your opponent to a pulp, and some of them are fun to watch, particularly Kasumi’s flip kick – and no, not JUST because she kicks high. The 3DS controls feel pretty good here, so we definitely won’t complain. Still, there are some choices that could’ve been made better. Tag Battle, for instance, is not that hot, mainly because you’re coupled with an uncontrollable AI partner that tends to drag out the fight. Why couldn’t have Tecmo gone with a business model similar to the Marvel Vs. Capcom games? We would’ve preferred it. Now let’s get to the main draw of the game – the visuals. What’s here is well represented in 3D, including a few schnazzy backgrounds that come through in extraordinary detail and fighters that move fluidly. There are times the camera has to play catch-up, but overall this is a great looking game, even if you go with the default 2D option. And of course, these ladies are quite a sight, with their heaving, bouncing boobs and girly attitudes. As for the sound, ehhhh. The music’s okay, but mostly taken from other games. The voicework is acceptable, but a little too squeaky at times, which may have you reaching for the volume switch. One other note – the bonus Metroid stage included in Dimensions is exceptional. It really feels like you’re fighting your way in Samus Aran’s world, while occasionally dodging background danger to stay in the fight. Once you see it, you’ll know that Team Ninja has the utmost respect for Metroid: Other M – even if we’re not entirely crazy about it.
No, Dead Or Alive: Dimensions won’t topple Super Street Fighter IV as the best portable fighter for the system, but it’s still relatively enjoyable, and fans of the series will no doubt snag it. Besides, where else can you see bouncing boobs in 3D? And if you say Nintendogs, we’re gonna smack you.
|
||
Add to N4G
