Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu (or Dragon Ball Z: The Legend, Dragon Ball Z Legends)
Considering how Dragon Ball has been around for nearly 31 years and has spawned 88 game titles, it is easy to miss a few. However, I cannot stress how important it is to play this game. If this game does not sound familiar, don’t feel too bad; it was released in 1996 exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, while the 1997 Greatest Hits version was only available in France and Spain. American fans had to take extra steps to acquire it, but was well worth it.
The game was a radical departure from other DBZ fighting games. Normal attacks don’t actually inflict damage. Your attacks and combos determine whether or not you fill up the Power Balance gauge at the bottom of the screen – represented by a fluctuating tug of war battle between blue and red. If your respective color fills up the bar, it will trigger a special move animation that does significant damage to your enemy.
This game made you feel like you were living out a Dragon Ball Z episode. The combat was extremely fast-paced and energetic; this effect was further multiplied into an unrivaled spectacle when you had three on three matches. In versus mode, you could create the most eclectic combinations of hero and villain team-ups throughout the entire Dragon Ball Z story arcs. It also featured a Special Mode where you engaged in ultra-difficult team-up matches often at a severe handicap… Damn you, Special Mode Frieza – damn you to the Home for Infinite Losers!
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
To preface, I could rant all day about Dragon Ball Z fighting games until I’m blue in the face like King Kai. However, the franchise had excellent games that ventured outside the fighting genre, such as Dragon Ball: Attack of the Saiyans. Released in North America in November 2009 on the Nintendo DS, the game was a turn-based RPG game that combined the classic Dragon Ball story with gameplay mechanics reminiscent of Pokemon and Final Fantasy.
The events of the game take place after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai tournament through the Saiyan story arc (although, with more filler) utilizing six classic characters including Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien. The world and characters were beautifully animated with 2D sprites divided into a diverse world & area map. The game added puzzle elements to area exploration by having you clear obstacles by lobbing ki blasts against rocks and wooded areas. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be a proper RPG without RANDOM BATTLES!!! The combat mode is simple but incredibly stylistic, especially with the execution of special attacks & tag team attack combos, which will have your inner otaku screaming with joy against the likes of the Red Ribbon Army or the Legendary Super Saiyan Brolly.
Overall, Attack of the Saiyans is a refreshing and well-polished departure from the core DBZ fighting game genre with surprising depth and works to provide a new angle & expansion of the Dragon Ball narrative. This is a must-play for fans of RPGs!
Dragon Ball Xenoverse
For any shonen fan, Dragon Ball Z has the makings of a timeless classic: epic battles and transformations, silly gags and humor, and the greatest heroes and villains. What else could you want? What about time travel? Well, technically, that has been touched upon before – but you can never have too much time travel. If you agree, then Dragon Ball Xenoverse is your birthday and Christmas rolled into one. It is basically the Dragon Ball Z anime WITH TIME COPS.
In the distant future, two malicious villains are manipulating the events of history to their own advantage. In search of assistance, Time Patrol Trunks uses the Dragon Balls to summon forth a hero (e.g. the player) to travel through time to fix the damaged timestream. Along the way, your character will interact and intervene in iconic events and battles, as well as having the opportunity to train under the greatest warriors.
Xenoverse’s decision to move away standard Dragon Ball Z canon provided an all new story, a robust custom character creation & equipment system, and heavy RPG elements to create a game full of surprises and high replay value. The character creation system allows you to be one of five playable races (e.g. Saiyans, Humans, Namekians, Majins, and Frieza’s race) with respective strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, how the world and characters change and reacts to you makes your agency and discretion feel as they matter and have actual weight & impact. The game encourages you to take advantage of these liberties in any fashion you choose. No matter what happens the outcome is rendered in awe-inspiring visuals pulled straight from the anime.
For a more comprehensive review of the game, check out this article written by senior editor Ishmael, as well as our Dragon Ball Xenoverse wiki guide complete with walkthroughs, FAQ, tips, tricks, and more!
Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout
Now before you raise your pitchforks and torches at me, allow me the chance to explain. True, Final Bout generally did not get any accolades and many critics have negative criticisms about it. However, Final Bout delivered unprecedented gameplay elements that would clearly influence later games,
First of all, it was the first fully 3D rendered Dragon Ball video game to ever be released on the PlayStation in 1997. In all honesty, this was somewhat of a luxury since there would not be another fully 3D rendered game until four years later with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai. When you were 9 years old, like I was, this was simply something that you never saw before in other games.
Final Bout‘s combat system created an easy and seamless means of transitioning into ground and aerial combat. It had also experimented with novel ways of evading and counter ki blasts and special attacks with the implementation of a reaction-based quicktime command causing a slow motion, bullet-time like ki blast battle with the winner being the one who could mash the correct button the fastest. Its character roster had stellar characters such as Future Trunks, Vegetto, and SSJ4 Goku. Unfortunately, Oozaru Baby Vegeta was not playable but his boss fight was challenging, memorable, and fun as hell.
Lastly, Final Bout sported a Build Up Mode which no other game had replicated since. You were allowed to select and save a Z fighter onto your memory card in which you could train and level up. You and your friends could level out your characters to the max, beat the snot out of each other, and achieve eternal glory and bragging rights. You could level up the strength of your character’s melee attacks, or perhaps scale the power of your energy blasts. Whatever poison you chose, it was pure delight seeing the look on your friend’s face when you demonstrated how much work you put in to enable your character to do 1 hit KOs over and over.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
You all knew this was coming – bow down and show fealty to your king. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is a masterpiece among DBZ fighting games. It was an amazing synthesis of everything that was well-received and epic throughout both the Budokai trilogy and prior two Tenkaichi titles before it. Its character roster is unbelievably vast and far-reaching – a whopping 161 characters! The combat system was refined with the inclusion of character specific combos, Blast Combos, and Z Burst Dash which pushed the gameplay closer to the anime further than any other game could capture. The cel-shaded graphics were beautifully rendered and animated. It had an extremely intricate and in-depth character customization system with novel features like being able to change the AI or the aura of your character’s ki.
Other noteworthy features include the Battle Replay system where you could record and save your most memorable and epic fights to an SD card. For the Nintendo Wii version of the game, the game sported a console exclusive online multiplayer system and access to an global ranking system. It is clear to see why this game is still lauded as the best in the series – although, it is an absolute shame that an HD remake hasn’t been made yet. In desperate times like these, we need the likes of Shenron to grant us fans this very wish.
What are your favorite Dragon Ball video games? Which ones did you feel capture the essence and soul of Dragon Ball Z the most? Feel free to comment and share below!
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