Dead or Alive 4 (Japanese: デッドオアアライブ4, Hepburn: Deddo oa Araibu Fō, abbreviated as DOA4) is a 2005 fighting game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo for the Xbox 360.

However, like Dead or Alive 3, the game features a relatively low number of costumes (excluding variants), and several characters now had to be unlocked by the player including Helena.

DOA4 features three new playable characters: Kokoro, a young geisha in training; Eliot, a 16-year-old boy from England and protégé to Gen Fu; and La Mariposa, a female Lucha Libre wrestler.

[4] ^a Unplayable boss ^b Guest character ^c Unlockable character ^d Unplayable in Story Mode Helena Douglas, daughter of the founder and former chairman of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee, Fame Douglas, takes over the mantle of DOATEC as its second chairman, determined to fight against the corruption within the enormous organization.

After losing both her father and her beloved mother to the darkness of conspiracy, Helena chose to place herself in the middle of the maelstrom in order to put an end to the chain of tragedy once and for all.

The man who holds the true power at DOATEC, Victor Donovan, locked himself in the committee's Bio Lab Core once again to continue coveting his dream of creating the perfect human weapon.

His new project, code named "Alpha-152", is the result of the ultimate evolution of hyper-cloning technology, birthed from a DNA sample of Kasumi.

During the last tournament, after Ayane successfully defeats DOATEC's last creation, Omega, Hayate returned to the Mugen Tenshin village, taking over the leadership.

Now leader, his heart burns with the desire of revenge as he goes on a quest to put an end to DOATEC for the innumerable pain the Mugen Tenshin Ninjas have suffered from the organization.

He is accompanied by Ayane, Ryu Hayabusa, and other members of the Mugen Tenshin; Kasumi, though reluctant and fearing the worst, is dragged into the events herself as she follows her brother.

The forces of Mugen Tenshin launches an assault on DOATEC's primary headquarters, the gigantic 999 meter Tri-tower building.

[5] The first official screenshots, in-game demos and cinematics were presented by Microsoft at press conferences,[6] with the game originally slated to be a launch title for the Xbox 360.

In an interview with Famitsu Xbox, Tomonobu Itagaki remarked that he spent 99% of his time developing the game, while only sleeping 40 minutes in four days.

The game was delayed many times before eventually being released on December 29, 2005, more than a month after the Xbox 360 debuted,[8] having been initially held back by retailers.

[2] An Arcade Stick for Dead or Alive 4 made by Japanese video game peripheral manufacturer Hori was released on February 4, 2006, exclusively for the Xbox 360.

[15] Douglass C. Perry of IGN called the game "a fighter with subtle yet significant changes and an online mode that rocks" and "a move in the right direction for the series".

Between its great selection of powerful fighters, its terrific action, and its addictive online mode, there's an awful lot to sink your teeth into, learn, and master in this latest and greatest installment in the series.

"[17] Che Chou of 1Up.com said: "DOA4 comes very close to being a competitive fighting game, but its failings in a few key areas cripple its longevity.

Game Informer stated how "The incredible craftsmanship that went into this title makes it the pinnacle in the series and another fantastic Xbox Live application.

"[30] Official Xbox Magazine wrote: "Fan’s of Itagaki’s “jujitsu-jousting” philosophy….can comfortably mark DOA 4 as the most refined version of their beloved fighter to date.

[41] Dead or Alive 4 is featured in the Guinness World Records for being the "First 7th-generation fighting videogame",[42] and the "First retail game to include “zero point” achievements".

[46][47] In 2008, GamePro staff ranked it as the 11th best fighting game, stating: "The first new-generation fighter to be released, Dead or Alive 4 still makes a strong case as the best one.