Dead or Alive: Dimensions

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Team Ninja

The last Dead or Alive game that I just could not stop playing, prior to Dimensions being released, was Dead or Alive 2. The games in the series since DoA 2 have been good, but they just didn't hook me like that fantastic game did...Well, until this little gem came out. The story mode alone makes this one of my favorite games on the 3DS. The mode goes back and follows the story of Kasumi, Ayane, Hayabusa, among others from the first Dead or Alive tournament all the way to the fifth one, which was the most recent game in the series when this one was released. As the story unfolds, the bottom screen shows explanations for keywords and phrases that are used, so even if you’re not a Dead or Alive fanatic, it’s not hard to get caught up and understand the story being told. There are aspects of the actual fighting that I find to be inferior to what's found in other 3DS fighters like Blazblue and Street Fighter IV, because let’s face it, the Dead or Alive fighting formula was great when it was released, but it hasn’t really evolved a whole lot over the years…But lack of evolution in the fighting mechanics aside, when I look at the overall package, this still may be my favorite fighting game on the 3DS handheld. If you’re a fan of the Dead or Alive franchise and want a rundown of the history of the games, with a nice backstory along the way, or simply just want to give someone a death valley driver as Tina Armstrong while sitting on the bus, then Dead or Alive: Dimensions is definitely worth tracking down.

Review added: 06/19/2020