What was your first Dead or Alive game and what did you initially think of the series?

gamemaster14

Active Member
My question(s) for you is(are): What was your first Dead or Alive game and what did you first think of DOA upon initially trying it out? (what hooked you, anything you didn't like). Also what had you heard about the series previous to playing it? How were you introduced to the series/where did you hear about it?

Edit: For people who didn't start with the first game, Have you ever tried the older games, if so What do you think?

For me, my first game was Dead or Alive for the original Playstation. I could remember thinking how fluid the combo system was compared to other fighting games and I also thought the game had great graphics for the time. I believe I had seen it in a magazine at one point and wanted to try it. The guys at a store called Funcoland had told me "Its kinda like Tekken but not as good", Glad I did not listen. I believe I had bought the game from KB Toy store. I tried the import Sega Saturn version not too long after, of course this was all before doa2 came out, which is when I think the series because a bit more main stream.
 
Last edited:

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
DOA++. Enjoyed the graphics and the animations with the explosions. When DOA2 came out I was more enthralled and really enjoyed the stage exploration. Plus, being 14/15 years old I also liked the big breasted women and panty shots lol.

I didn't start learning the game competitively until DOA2U came out.
 

Mayor-Of-Mustard

Well-Known Member
DOA3: (dad buys DOA3 because it is popular) "LOL THIS GUY ZACK LOOKS COOL" (does easy mode story and wins everything by mashing B) "TAKE THAT I'M BETTER THAN MY BROTHER THIS GAME ROCKS MY SOCKS " Yeah so I liked DOA3, and then I hated DOA4 and then saw DOA5 and was like "nope" but then really got into it.
 

AsheMann21

Well-Known Member
Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate :) I'm a Koei fanboy, so I got to know about DOA through the Koei-Tecmo merger. Before this, the only thing I knew about DOA was the crappy movie urrk.
DOA5 was announced in 2012 and I kept tabs on it but didn't buy it. The next year, as soon as my last paper was done, I went straight to the store and bought Ultimate.

I was never a fan of fighting games in general. I sucked at Tekken and the only fighting game I'm fairly good at is the Naruto Ultimate Ninja series lol. I found DOA's button layout to be very beginner friendly compared to Tekken. Thus, I'm here leveling up my game to help me better understand the game's mechanics. At the same time, I'm playing a more diverse selection of games to fuel my new found passion for fighting games.
 

The 4th phase

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
I think my first was 3, i actually wanted to play the original but never bought the dreamcast >_<
i loved every second of it XD
then i managed to play the first two in the ultimate collection so i am good with that.
 

The 4th phase

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
The original was on the PlayStation/Sega Saturn ;)

O_O

i must have been thinking of soul calibur XD

my mistake.

i actually never had psone during its hay day ( got one much later for a couple of games)
and never bought a saturn ( i think it was bit pricey back then)

damn it i should gotten it later on.
 

UpSideDownGRUNT

Well-Known Member
My first experience with Dead or Alive was DOA1 on a PS1 demo disc in 1998.

I was only 8 years old at the time so I thought the game was weird, (not knowing that japanese was a thing lol) but I was blown away at the graphics and the stage variety.

I believe one thing that impressed me was the night club stage where Kasumi beat my 8yo self really hard haha I liked how she teleported away after winning.
 

synce

Well-Known Member
Only heard about the series when DOA2 came out but started with DOA1 on PS1... I think the series reached its climax with 3 and only went downhill since, but ah I guess it's tough to let go.
 

SilverForte

Well-Known Member
I remember around the time the xbox came out they were heavily promoting doa3. I remember seeing the box art on display at the local wizards of the coast in the lan area. We got an xbox and doa3 shortly afterwards and I remember being really impressed with the way the game looked. I didn't know how to do anything more than mash buttons at the time, but I had a lot of fun with it.

Funnily enough we got doax later and my dad got really into it, I'd walk into his room at night and there he was playing it.
 

Wingman

Member
My first experience with Dead or Alive was the original PlayStation version of the game. I rented it a couple of times, and really loved it.

Then when DOA2 came out on Dreamcast, I bought the game and have been playing the series since.

What I really loved about DOA, was that it was really easy to pick up and play for a fighting game. My friends and I played a TON of DOA2 and DOA3 together back in high school. Most of the guys I played with back then never had any background in fighting games, but they enjoyed DOA.
 

Goarmagon

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
The Dreamcast demo disk. I had heard that there was a PS2 relase for DOA2 but I could not find it but I found VF4:EVO and to this day it has the best training mode of any fighting game.

''Awesome fighting game with a lot colors and good graphics! I want it!'' Was my first thought when i saw this trailer.

Sad to see all the things i liked in DOA is gone. Colors, cool stages, awesome music and Jann's voice.

I bought DOA1 for playstation about 4 years ago because i needed it to my collection. Haven't played it a lot though.

Bomb Factory needs to come back to DOA. More so than that Aerosmith shit.
 

Koenji

Member
Standard Donor
My first taste of Dead Or Alive was Dead Or Alive 4 in 2012. I loved how fast pace the game was and how you could knock enemies through walls and downstairs. I just couldn't play it, but it still caught my intrest in the DOA series.
 

Saber

Well-Known Member
DOA5 for me. I've also never heard of DOA before this either.

I don't know how I stumbled upon the trailer of the Alpha Demo, but boy am I glad I did. I was completely blew away by the graphics because the character models look incredibly detailed and beautiful, not to mention how badass the dangerzones were in Scramble - it was unlike anything I've ever seen before.

And when the story trailer came out I was honestly intrigued by it to the point where I wiki-ed the entire thing to make I know all the backstories and stuff. To a lot of people it may have been laughable but I honestly enjoyed every minute of Story Mode despite how cheesy it was. It was very entertaining, and speaking of which, I feel like the game nailed what it intended in the very beginning - fighting entertainment.

I love this game. Despite my complaints, I love it. Do I feel like it could be better? Yes, especially given the awesome DOA3 stages I looked up after I got the game, but I love it and I love that it introduced me to the FGC, and FSD, of course. Playing DOA5 has become part of my daily routine, putting in an hour up to two in the lab or in Versus Mode because I love playing it so much.
 

Koenji

Member
Standard Donor
And when the story trailer came out I was honestly intrigued by it to the point where I wiki-ed the entire thing to make I know all the backstories and stuff. To a lot of people it may have been laughable but I honestly enjoyed every minute of Story Mode despite how cheesy it was.

The milk scene between Eliot and Christie made the story mode all that better for me.
 

Randzz

Active Member
My 1st game of the series was DoA4. Can't remember why I got it, I think one of my friends dared me to do it at the time or something. They were all into fighters, mainly the 2D variety (SF, KoF). While I did know fighters like the Virtual Fighter, Soulcalibur & the like I was generally lousy with them. DoA4 was the 1st fighter I actually felt decent with, I also liked how similar the controls were to VF, but it wasn't as strict with the inputs. As I've always considered myself a "pick up & play" kinda guy that had added appeal, been with it pretty much ever since.

As with Saber, I also have my share of issues with it, mainly in the online department (short of my getting a "gamer friendly" job in the future, I seriously doubt I'll do the offline scene) & TN/KT going the Cashcom route. But I keep coming back to it, nearly as much as my 1st gaming love... RPGs.
 

akhi216

Active Member
Standard Donor
For me, my first game was Dead or Alive for the original Playstation. I could remember thinking how fluid the combo system was compared to other fighting games and I also thought the game had great graphics for the time. I believe I had seen it in a magazine at one point and wanted to try it.
This pretty much sums up why i got into to aside from me being a huge Tecmo fan.
 
ALL DOA6 DOA5 DOA4 DOA3 DOA2U DOAD
Top