Final Fantasy vs. Dead or Alive: Round 2

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Mar 25th 2008 at 8:01AM }

We're not sure how he does it or how long it takes him, but animator and generally insane fight choreographer "Montyoum" has once again delved into the many unwritten volumes of fan fiction buried inside our minds and rendered each page in startling, over-the-top clarity. After allowing Samus and Master Chief to find love on the battlefield, Montyoum orchestrated a crossover between the elaborately endowed gals of Dead or Alive and a trio of Final Fantasy femme fatales, labeling the ludicrous result "Dead Fantasy."

Above you'll find the sequel, an even bigger display of absurd acrobatics, imaginative pummeling and blissful ignorance of the laws of physics. We love it.

[Thanks, dara hoy]

Tags: Dead-or-Alive, DeadorAlive, Final-Fantasy, FinalFantasy, Kingdom-Hearts, KingdomHearts

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

proffesso @ Mar 25th 2008 8:13AM

so square / team ninja think its ok that he rips off thier IP / models?

nice work promoting this joystiq...

Maverick Saturn @ Mar 25th 2008 8:17AM

Yeah, and does it better then the two companies did, can't stand DOA, I like Ninja Gaiden. although its not exactly my thing.

As for FF10, it sucked, so Yuna's representation in this is classy ^^

Farseer (GDI) @ Mar 25th 2008 9:40AM

Are you serious? He is in no way ripping off any IP - find me a place where he charges to view his work, and I'll eat my words. Even then, you can almost compare this to machinima, in a way, but his work requires much more talent. You probably know that one purchases machinima like Red vs Blue on DVD, and neither Bungee nor Microsoft have a problem with it - they encourage its creation, in fact.

To say that Montyoum is ripping off IPs when he creates high-quality videos and distributes them for free while others legally charge for machinima using a much simpler creation method (the game engine), is totally baseless.

Thank you, Joystiq, for promoting this. Keep it up montyoum - good work!

Bender @ Mar 25th 2008 9:58AM

Farseer, you don't have to be selling a product to be illegally ripping off someone's IP. This guy is obviously really talented, and I love what he's done with this, but it is definitely in violation of basic copyright and IP laws.

The problem is that using someone's IP can lead to 'confusion' from the consumer side as to the authenticity of the product.

It's about protecting an established brand. The IP owner is the only one with the rights to use those characters, unless they give those rights to someone else. It's the only way the owner can control the quality (and thus the 'consumer image') of the property.

ScreamingSkull @ Mar 25th 2008 11:12AM

I think it falls under fair use, it's fan art, not a commercial product. If they want him to stop, it'll just turn into another Munny doll GOW kind of deal.

Farseer (GDI) @ Mar 25th 2008 1:05PM

So, Bender, when you talk about protecting an established brand, does that include the Futurama IP?

eNrique @ Mar 25th 2008 8:57PM

haaaa!!!!
you are promoting yourelf with the mario avatar, joysting is ripping of shigeru miyamoto's work,
noooooooo!!!!!!

someone stop this!!!!!

Bender @ Apr 4th 2008 4:10AM

"So, Bender, when you talk about protecting an established brand, does that include the Futurama IP?" - Farseer (GDI)

That's your assumption that it's based off the Bender character in Futurama. Which, in a way, serves to illustrate my argument.

You're making an assumption that I'm not involved with Futurama and that I don't have the 'rights' to use the name if I want to.

What's to stop someone assuming that this guy represents the IP owners? He has used the IP so one *could* assume he's done this with permission, or as an act as part of the company for promotion purposes.

Who knows? That's my point.

It's the same thing as 'fan games' that frequently get stopped before completion by the IP owner. It's the IP owner's decision what gets used and how.

Sure, it's fan art. It's great. People must be stupid to think it's official. But hey, there certainly ARE stupid people in this world.

Erwos @ Mar 25th 2008 8:13AM

OK, so even as someone who liked all those games, I have to say: that was just weird.

Maverick Saturn @ Mar 25th 2008 8:18AM

Thumbs up, and to all those who said for the last video he needed a gf, he does in fact have one, and has been with her for a long time, this just happens to be his hobby, much like urs are to endlessly play games, only difference is, that his hobby might in fact get him a job in the movie industry.

panzerjedi @ Mar 25th 2008 8:21AM

I'm not a fan, sorry. The renders are nice and all - I'm just not a fan of overly choreographed fights. Fight scenes, in my opinion, are cool when they look real, not because they're just a bunch of cool looking action sequences strung together.

ck @ Mar 25th 2008 11:40AM

I agree. It was cool for the first 30 seconds but then I was waiting for the consequences. So they're just going to keep fighting? Lame. Plus they look dead behind the eyes.

Booxatron @ Mar 26th 2008 11:51AM

I admit, I watched a minute or so of this and then just skipped to the end to see if there was a cool dance party.

Bender @ Mar 25th 2008 8:22AM

I thought that was awesome.

Ethan @ Mar 25th 2008 8:30AM

I think it's underly choreographed. Nothing flows, and it could really happen in any order, nothing that you see has any real effect. Of course, not the point, and I still watched it and enjoyed it, it's a brilliant spectacle.

kaneda @ Mar 27th 2008 10:03AM

I agree. Most definitely underly choreographed. Needs more choreography. didn't have enough choreography.

Obie @ Mar 25th 2008 8:35AM

I was gonna say something mean and spiteful, but I realize the reason was my complete jealousy to this guys great talent.

Awesome stuff.

Sageco @ Mar 25th 2008 8:42AM

Mmm...
When something has both violence and women(even if they are cgi)....who cares?

Dahk @ Mar 25th 2008 8:47AM

Mmm that was absolutely gorgeous. Loved that fighting while sliding down a wall lol.

Although the DOA girls seemed quite underpowered, no? Tifa was owning the likes of them lol, even with Rachel.

Maverick Saturn @ Mar 25th 2008 8:48AM

My only issue is how does a fight like this end, other then happily.

Stupid Spiderman 3, worse superhero film I ever saw, other then Hulk of course.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Mar 25th 2008 9:22AM

I think you forgot the Fantastic Four films. And that old Captain America film. I'm sure there's a few more.

Fuzzyfreaker @ Mar 26th 2008 9:16PM

Ahem... Daredevil? Electra? Ghost Rider?

Maverick Saturn @ Mar 26th 2008 9:35PM

Yea, but I knew they would suck, I was especially annoyed at Spiderman 3 for ruining Venom's reputation ¬_¬

xeleion @ Mar 30th 2008 3:58PM

I agree with Maverick Saturn; I'd rather watch all the other crappy superhero films 1000 times consecutively before I ever watch Spider-Man 3 again. That movie was pure garbage.

I probably should say something pertaining to the article. Uuuuuummm..... it was cool. I love classy choreographed fight scenes. I'm not a fan of an of the games these girls stared in (except KH) but for what it's worth, this is good stuff. For all you haters.... stop hatin'! No, seriously, you're looking into this too much.

arleigh.sandoc @ Mar 25th 2008 9:52AM

Those who were at the Anime Boston closing ceremonies this past weekend knows everyone at the hall loved this video. Yes, it's disregard for the law of physics and the fact no one dies doesn't really doesn't matter. This is a video by a fanboy for all fanboys (and girls).

greatslack @ Mar 25th 2008 10:06AM

It's like Advent Children, minus the ancillary plot.

xvertigenx @ Mar 25th 2008 10:19AM

Wow tough crowd. I for one absolutely loved it. His choreography is top f'ing notch. I got the chills over and over :)

Shimrra @ Mar 25th 2008 10:29AM

Big congrats Montyoum I never heard about you till now but I cant wait to see everything you make. Great video great fight choreographer. Keep up the great work.

Farseer (GDI) @ Mar 25th 2008 1:03PM

Dude, you need to check out Haloid if you liked this.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/18/battle-of-the-fps-titans-samus-vs-master-chief/

khriskiller @ Mar 25th 2008 10:33AM

What is wrong with all you haters out there? Its really well done. Nuff said.

bearmedal @ Mar 25th 2008 11:09AM

Who was the angel? I thought only Squall used a gunsword. And was the one with the Keyblades Kairi?

BPM X: Soul Eraser [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ Mar 25th 2008 12:48PM

Rinoa, and yes.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Mar 25th 2008 11:14AM

Fucking awesome.

And to all the people complaining("BAAAAWWW WHY DON'T THEY SHOW PAIN???) realism is over-rated.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Mar 25th 2008 11:19AM

This isn't directed at anyone, I'm just making a general statement(though I know some of you will). Kotaku pissed me off with the obsccene amount of people complaining. Goddammit I wanted to falcon punch all of them.

Zertoss @ Mar 25th 2008 2:03PM

Hey Vegeta, what does the scouter say about their awesome level?

Kyouya @ Mar 25th 2008 5:49PM

You just don't get it. You don't mess with the creation of a character if you plan to fool around with it. You don't insult the original artist's work by adding to your own stupid needs that is irrelevant to the creator's vision. If you want to create your own character and do crazy stuff, then that's fine. Otherwise, you show homage to the character because you respect what the creator has done. Anything less than that is a slap in the face. Go wipe yourself up..you have embarrassment covered all over your face.

kaneda @ Mar 27th 2008 10:17AM

Hey Kyouya, if you read comic books, you would understand that reworking characters is a commonly accepted practice in the industry. If it wasn't for other people reworking existing characters, we would not have the Batman, Superman, Spider, or X-Men that we know today. Go back an look at all these character's original incarnations. They were mostly underdeveloped in original form and hardly as interesting as the current incarnations. I understand the concept of maintaining the integrity of the character, which is debatable in this animation's case, but this was made by a fanboy, for fanboys, so take it for what it is.

Knoxximus @ Mar 25th 2008 11:26AM

Been waiting for this.

Knoxximus @ Mar 25th 2008 11:26AM

Been waiting for this.

Knoxximus @ Mar 25th 2008 11:26AM

Damn kitty!

Kaz @ Mar 25th 2008 11:58AM

Best freaking thing I've ever seen. Fulfilled all my fighting fantasy dreams that one did. Amazing stuff. Someone give this guy a movie deal.

-~-

Kyouya @ Mar 25th 2008 12:13PM

Unexpectedly, I was welcomed with a new segment of Dead Fantasy during my usual visit to Gametrailers.com. Dead Fantasy I, the prequel to Dead Fantasy II, was very impressive and made me believe Monty Oum and his team would surpass the original that started it all.

Sadly, I ended up being bitter when I finished watching the uninspiring sequel.

Why was I disappointed? It wasn’t the graphics, the choreography or even the new addition to interesting characters from Kingdom Hearts and Ninja Gaiden.

The direction of the production killed Dead Fantasy II.

Before I go on any further and justify my point before you all scream at me for being an arrogant son of a bitch, let me explain something about Monty Oum’s work. I give him a lot of credit for spending a lot of time researching on choreography. Some are very noticeable. There are traces of moves you would have seen from Tekken (Tifa imitating Baek), old Chinese movies (i.e. Drunken Master starting Jackie Chan, the remake of the original) and possibly from Ninja Gaiden, Guilty Gear X, or Street Fighter III: Third strike (Rinoa damaging the opponents in blazing speed from all directions). Fans must realize that this is not something he pulled out of his ass. It was through research and dedication. As for the voices in the video, he used audio from Soul Calibur and the Dead or Alive franchise. Personally, I thought it was bizarre hearing Xianghua’s voice (voiced by Hisakawa Aya) in this video. Overall, he did everything exceptionally well by demonstrating the meaning of fanservice by using resources from other fighting franchises.

That being said, I am saddened with the latest entry to Dead Fantasy. As I read what he wanted to achieve before starting the video, I expected him to live up to his word. Sometimes, it does not always go as planned. In this case, however, it was not even come close. Here are some things I noticed in terms of direction.

1. Too long – Majority of people do not have the attention span to watch the same old derivative action for 10 minutes straight (unless they are easily amused and have no brain cells). It was totally unnecessary to add 7 additional minutes in comparison to the first video, Dead Fantasy I. They should have followed the OFFICE rule created by Dwight Schrute. The KISS rule. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

2. Lack of changing in pace – The pace is always the same. Give the viewers a break if you’re going to prolong the action to 10 minutes. Use slow-mo, matrix style, anything. There is no need to always make it fast-paced. As Monty said in his comments, he hates predictability. Despite that, I have yet to see him eat those words. Mix it up…that includes pace.

3. Too much focus on environment than characters – Many of you might think the use of characters may pay homage to Dead or Alive. This may be true, but even DoA had its limits. It is encouraged to make use of environments ONLY with the addition of limitation. This is why the Dead Fantasy I was so well done. It focused on the character’s movements and reactions. Environments are complimentary, not the main attraction. Furthermore, it can potentially downgrade the character models’ graphics.

4. Introduction of the new characters – What was up with the introduction to Rachel? Why in the world would she wait to battle while sitting on a cliff with the use of her ax? There was no proper introduction to anyone except Rinoa. No slow-motion capture was used as an overture for the character of Rachel and the Kingdom Hearts character

5. Destroying the balance – If you want to pay homage to a character, then that is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. The introduction of Rinoa with the powers she possesses is one-sided. Angel wings, two weapons (Gun Sword was definitely irrelevant), and magic powers. Why does the balance have to be so askew? Monty might as well have added Garnet/Dagger from FFIX with the power to release all the eidolons. Nothing good comes out of seeing one team getting their ass kicked with the absence of counterattack. If Rinoa has the Gun Sword, how come Tifa does not have the Buster Sword?

6. Staying true to the character’s persona – I’m not quite sure the team knows what fanservice means because Tifa is not some slut who drinks until she croaks. This was just a poor excuse to use Drunken Boxing. It only insults the original creator’s vision of the character (same applies to Hentai Doujinshi). Homage means paying respect. Does that look like paying respect? It just diminishes Tifa’s image; from a childhood friend to a drunken whore who wants to be felt up because she is easy.

7. Getting crowded – Luckily, this looks like it will be fixed on the next installment of Dead Fantasy. 6+ characters are too many to fit everyone in one screen especially when you are trying to include all of them to participate in the fight. It could get really messy and confusing.

8. Weapon Inconsistency – How is it possible that Yuna’s guns suddenly turn into an Uzi (semi-automatic) during mid-way through the battle?

I could go on and on, but that would only make me look like a jerk. Here is what I would suggest Monty Oum on the next Dead Fantasy. Under credits, Monty Oum is responsible for directing, choreographing and producing. Multi-tasking is not for everyone. By taking on two major tasks (directing and choreographing), you’re bound to make more mistakes. Sacrifice one of those roles to someone who you can trust in order maintain high standards of quality. I’m betting Monty Oum is looking for criticism rather than compliments because whatever breaks you down can only help you become better. If I’m harsh, so be it. It is up to him and the team to decide.

xvertigenx @ Mar 25th 2008 12:51PM

OMFG I can't believe I even read half of your fu*king post. You sir, are a moron.

AndroidVageta @ Mar 25th 2008 1:10PM

This video was most impressive I have to admit, however...

I can't help but agree with what Kyouya said. If the video is made to pay homage to the girls of FF and DoA, why are the DoA girls getting the shit kicked out of them?

Overall...impressive bit of tech and animation but overall the characters and events are totally out of the ordinary and not TRUE to the actual characters.

Victor @ Mar 25th 2008 1:51PM

Internet.
Serious Business.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Mar 25th 2008 5:24PM

@6 and 7

So the fuck what? If you've seen any of his videos then you know that he doesn't really follow canon when he's doing the choreography. The whole point is to have familiar characters kick the shit out of each other with ridiculous fight scenes. Tis why I can't stand people like you who complain about stupid shit such as, "WHAT? YUNA CAN'T DO THAT!!! OR SAMUS DOESN'T HAVE ROCKET BOOTS!!! THIS SOMEHOW RUINS THE EXPERIENCE FOR ME!!!" If you think that, you completely missed the point of what monty is doing. If the guy can make characters seem more bad-ass, even if he makes the characters untrue to the franchise, then more power to him. I just can't stand it when people like you complain about stupid shit like that, especially when he isn't even trying to be accurate.

Gerbil X @ Mar 26th 2008 8:16PM

In response to Kyouya:

4. Introduction of the new characters – What was up with the introduction to Rachel? Why in the world would she wait to battle while sitting on a cliff with the use of her ax? There was no proper introduction to anyone except Rinoa. No slow-motion capture was used as an overture for the character of Rachel and the Kingdom Hearts character

Why in the world was Rinoa just standing there with wings waiting for people to show up? Why are any of them fighting at all? There is no goal or story. It's just an extreme visual feast to showcase choreography. Kairi and Rachel might have been abrupt, but so what?

6. Staying true to the character’s persona – I’m not quite sure the team knows what fanservice means because Tifa is not some slut who drinks until she croaks. This was just a poor excuse to use Drunken Boxing. It only insults the original creator’s vision of the character (same applies to Hentai Doujinshi). Homage means paying respect. Does that look like paying respect? It just diminishes Tifa’s image; from a childhood friend to a drunken whore who wants to be felt up because she is easy.

Drinking makes you a slut? What? And how is drinking totally out of character; she heads a /bar./ 7th Heaven, remember? Regardless of that, she was hurting, and it looked more like she just had a bit too many potions to drink honestly. Feel her up? Where in the world does that come from at all? Totally random xD.

8. Weapon Inconsistency – How is it possible that Yuna’s guns suddenly turn into an Uzi (semi-automatic) during mid-way through the battle?

Did you even play FFX-2? I forget what the exact mechanism was, but there are times during fights when you directly control the guns with R1 and they fire quite fast. And even besides that,it's Final Fantasy (Keyword fantasy). Limit Breaks/ Overdrives anyone?

Your post in general was ok, but these points are just silly.

cuteunit @ Mar 27th 2008 7:36PM

Dude... time to froth less over incredibly minor things.

You got angry because Tifa switched to drunken master? She owns a bar, did you hear? She turns out in the original conception to be a brawler as well. Bar..brawler? I wonder where they got the idea, gosh. It's not a great leap, and it's a fun little extrapolation.

Guys like you give nerds a bad name.

bamez @ Mar 29th 2008 9:44PM

6. on Tifa:
She was taking potions and elixirs, she got her HP beaten down, and she's been usin' her materia and her MP is low. She used her ice, fire, lighting, stop, haste, even ultima before she had to refill her MP, give her a break. Monty was just showing a different way of taking potions rather than just picking it out of a list of items and sparkles fall on the character and is healed, he showed them actually drinking the damn thing.

8. On weapon inconsistency:
An uzi is an automatic, her gun has always been semi-automatic. And it was only Automatic because Tifa used her Haste on her whole party.

I do agree on it being crowded, it wasnt necessary. I did love his use of the materia though.

SmashBox @ Mar 31st 2008 11:46PM

Actually, I agree with some of what you said, especially #2. I definitely felt that too. Some parts were just way too fast to enjoy that I had to rewind over and over again just to see what Girl X did to Girl Y.

I wasn't sure about Tifa's Drunken Boxing thing. I'm neutral on it and thought it looked okay. But I do agree a bit that he could used Tifa's limit breaks instead of Drunken Boxing. It was cool to see her do something different though.

As for Rinoa, I thought it was kickass to see her wield Squall's gunblade. To me, I felt she came back stronger than she was in FF8.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments