Dead or Alive 4

Dead or Alive 4, a fighting game from Team Ninja and Tecmo, hit the Xbox 360 in 2005 as the fourth major installment in the series. It followed *Dead or Alive 3* (2001) and marked the last fighting game directed by Tomonobu Itagaki before he left Tecmo, which later merged with Koei into Koei Tecmo in 2009. Critics gave it positive reviews, with scores of 85/100 on Metacritic and GameRankings, and Team Ninja reported 600,000 copies sold by February 2006. In 2021, backward compatibility made it playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The series continued with *Dead or Alive: Dimensions* in 2011 and *Dead or Alive 5* in 2012.

The story follows the ongoing conflict between the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan and DOATEC, with Helena Douglas taking over as DOATEC’s new president to fight its internal corruption. Meanwhile, Victor Donovan, the true power behind the organization, works on Project Alpha-152, a hyper-cloned weapon from Kasumi’s DNA. Hayate, now leader of the Mugen Tenshin, seeks revenge. Story mode introduces characters and opponents through combat, which then become available in other modes.

Gameplay introduces the "Bounce Combo" system, letting players attack opponents as they bounce off the ground after a knockdown. Low and some mid attacks can now hit downed foes. Stages include moving obstacles that damage fighters, though a well-timed counter hold can avoid them. Some stages have obstacles that fighters can be knocked over, allowing opponents to jump over or perform flying attacks. The online mode includes Avatars and Virtual Worlds, allowing players to customize their Avatars and lobby environments, chat via voice or text, and earn award points from wins to buy accessories. Move lists are updated, and the counter system is tightened with a shorter, harder-to-execute window and adjusted damage. The game has a relatively low number of costumes (excluding variants), and several characters, including Helena, must be unlocked.

The roster includes 23 fighters: 22 playable characters plus the boss Alpha-152. Returning characters are Ayane, Bass Armstrong, Bayman, Brad Wong, Christie, Hayate, Hitomi, Jann Lee, Kasumi, Leifang, Ryu Hayabusa, Tina Armstrong, and Zack.