Dead or Alive: Dimensions Impressions – "Dimensions" Refer To The Stage Layout

Dead or Alive: Dimensions

Developed by Tecmo Koei, release date is March 24, 2011

Estimated Demo Length: 8 minutes

Wait Time: 10 minutes

Dead or Alive: Dimensions marks the first time this popular fighting series hits both a Nintendo platform and, not including a PSP photography game spinoff, a handheld system. The series is known for offering fairly deep, yet easily accessible gameplay and impressive visuals. Given the new Nintendo and handheld audiences the game is going after, Dead or Alive: Dimensions sticks to its hallmarks.

There were 20 characters to choose from in the demo. Many series veterans were in the roster including Ryu Hayabusa, Ayane, and Tina Armstrong. I chose Kasumi. Two modes were playable: Arcade and Chronicle Modes. The action is fast-paced and requires use of defensive blocks and relentless, but well-timed offensive hits in order to win a fight. Although the stylus and touch screen could be used to initiate combo attacks, I stuck to the more traditional method of using the buttons and Slide Pad to play through the demo in Arcade mode. Chronicle Mode could be considered a glorified story mode, but the gameplay remains the same as Arcade Mode. When playing with buttons, Dead or Alive: Dimensions feels very similar to the rest of the series.

The “Dimensions” part of the title comes into play with the 3D visuals. Because the action moves in a 3D space, when the 3D dial is turned up, you get the feeling that the stage is composed of several “dimensions.” Playing the game right away in full 3D can be quite jarring for the eyes because the camera angles constantly shift. I turned the 3D dial down completely, playing the game in 2D mode before gradually shifting it up. I found that slowly transitioning from 2D to 3D visuals made it easier to adjust to the fast-paced camera shifting. By the end, I had the 3D dial at its highest setting, and I quite liked what I saw of the 3D during the short demo. Of all the games I played at Nintendo World 2011, Dimensions ended up being my favorite game in terms of 3D visuals, although this is highly subjective, as people’s 3D tolerance levels vary.