Super Dragon Ball Z

"Fun to play, but gets old REALLY fast"

Intro:
Super DragonBall Z came to my attention while I was surfing around this site. I saw the game at Blockbuster and it looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

Story:
Let me get this out of the way: There is no story. Rather than play through the story of DBZ for the umpteenth time, Atari decided to ditch the story. However, this used to be an arcade game, so maybe that explains the lack of a story. Instead of a story, you fight seven opponets in arcade mode and then fight Cell. I was a bit dissapointed at the lack of a story, but you'll be able to live with it.
Story Score: 0/10

Gameplay:
Pretty cool. The maker of Street Fighter II made this game, so the game plays just like Street Fighter. Kamehamehas are thrown around like Hadokens, and characters also have super moves. The actual fighting plays like a common 3D fighter like Soul Calibur, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter. In addition to fighting, you can create a character card where you pick one of the characters, give them a name, then level them up. You can learn new moves with the character and get new colors for the character. Also, there are five secret characters to unlock. When you collect the dragon balls, you can get a wish from the dragon, but most of these wishes are pretty lame.

So, aside from the great customization options, and the fun gameplay, there really isn't much else to do.
Gameplay Score: 6/10

Music and Sound:
To tell you the truth, I really can't remember any songs from this game. Unlike the Budokais and Legacy of Goku 2, the songs in this game are VERY forgettable.

On the other hand, all the voices from the show are present. However, since there isn't any storyline, most of the voices are yells and grunts.
Music Score: 2/10
Sound Score: 6/10

Graphics:
Probably the best part of the game. The artwork is based more on the manga than the anime, and this game uses cel-shading. Not only do the characters and stages look really good, but several times sound effects from the manga will pop up. I liked it, don't know how you will.
Graphics Score: 8/10

Extras:
Unlike the Budokais, there isn't much to do other than fight the CPU or a buddy. Heck, there isn't even a tournament mode. On the plus side, Chi-Chi and King Piccolo are two of the characters, and they haven't been in a DBZ fighting game before.
Extras Score: 5/10

Overall:
A forgettable and not worthwile DBZ fighting game. If you must play it, then rent it. I HIGHLY recommend you pick up Budokai 3 over this.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/06