Dead or Alive (video game)

Dead or Alive (Japanese: デッドオアアライブ, Hepburn: Deddo oa Araibu, abbreviated as DOA) is a 1996 fighting game by Tecmo and the first entry in Team Ninja's long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released first in arcades in 1996, followed by home ports for the Sega Saturn in Japan during 1997, and later for the PlayStation in all regions during 1998. Capitalizing on the success of Sega's Virtua Fighter fighting game series at the time, Dead or Alive takes influence from Virtua Fighter while adding unique gameplay elements of its own. Dead or Alive was well-praised for its fighting system and advanced graphics. The game also attracted attention for its presentation, which was more provocative than other mainstream 3D fighting games at the time. Dead or Alive was a commercial success, helping Tecmo overcome their financial problems. The success of the game helped turn the series into a franchise, including several sequels and numerous spinoffs. An enhanced version of the game was included in Dead or Alive Ultimate for Xbox in 2004. The game was followed by its first sequel, Dead or Alive 2 in 1999.