First videogame with a multi-point counter system

- Who
- Dead or Alive
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- 09 October 1996
While many games have featured “counter moves”, the birth of the Dead or Alive franchise (Team Ninja, 1996–present) heralded a new era for the concept. The first DoA title, released in 1996, had a counter system that allowed players to punish any attacking move by responding with one of six different inputs corresponding to high, middle and low kicks and punches.
For some titles the system was simplified but it is returning to its traditional – and highly technical – form for Dead or Alive 5 (Team Ninja, 2012).