Game #1269: Dead or Alive 5+

 Here we go again, yet another version of Dead or Alive 5.

 Seems I really must like Dead or Alive 5, because this is like the fourth version of this game I have bought. Dead or Alive 5+ was the Vita port of the game, although not everything is a plus.

 For starters, 90% of the original game is in the cart, however, Tag Battles were removed completely... except on Story Mode. Which is curious, these fights run well, the loading times before aren't too bad either, so I'm not sure why they removed free tag battles. Everything else, all the survival courses, Time attack, Arcade Ladder, Free battles, the tutorial... all of them are here and accounted for. There's a new mode, Touch Fight, which is super dumb, it's in first person and you tap and flick the screen to damage your enemy. The tutorial mode was souped up, now offering a ton of different lessons on every single mechanic, as well as combo-challenges for each character.

 The gameplay is as fast and satisfying as the original release, DoA is truly a spectacle, with some fantastic animations and feedback for when you land your hits. It IS a button masher, but that's always been the appeal of the series. Well, that and.... boobs. Yeah, the fanservice is excessive, what can ya do? The game plays great, and this is the entry that introduced Mila to the franchise, so I won't complain too much. The graphics are very crisp, it really is a looker, and they even kept in how the fighters would get sweaty and dirty, doesn't look as good as it does on PS3 but it's a nice detail. The audio quality, when it comes to story mode at least, isn't so good, but it doesn't get in the way of the game, plus... that story mode is terrible.

 No, really, I remembered it being bad, but not just how incomprehensible it was. Characters randomly meet in random countries, they fight because some stupid reason, and then your character has travelled to another country and comes across another character.... it's really dumb.

 This port does have one BIG plus when compared to the original... everyone comes unlocked by default, including Alpha-152. Unlock Alpha-152 was just cruel, but here she is unlocked from the get-go. Costumes, however, must be unlocked.

 Dead or Alive 5+ is yet another fantastic port for the Vita. Runs very smoothly, retains pretty much everything from the original game, even if it's missing tag battles, and looks and plays really well. About the only thing it has going against it is that DoA 5 received two further updated... which is a moot point considering this is the only version available on Vita, and for what it is, it's a lot of fun.

 8.0