Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2

"A great game, whether you're a fan or not."

You heard this straight from me, that I never was a big fan of the Dragon Ball series, even though I've always been big on anime. Don't ask me why, I just never was. But the Budokai series seemed to pique my interest, and I eventually decided to try Budokai Tenakichi 2. Much to my surprise, I found that even if you're not a fan of the series, it's still a game that anyone can enjoy, no matter how much they know about the series.

Graphics: 9/10
The only complaint I have with the graphics is that the limited animation the characters' mouths have when they're speaking. It just doesn't seem realistic enough and is sometimes out of synch with the dialogue. Aside from that, though, the characters are drawn well and fluidly animated. All of their moves move are done without any slowdown or choppiness, even when the biggest moves are executed. The aftermath of destroying parts of the backgrounds are also very well done, making it seem like you just destroyed a mountain or a building with an ordinary sized human.

Sounds: 10/10
All of the original voice actors from the English dubbed version of the Dragon Ball series reprise their roles as the characters they voice, and they do their job well. Each character sounds just like you remember them sounding like, and the dialogue is well written and well spoken, meaning when you hear Gohan telling Vegeta to prepare to die, it actually sounds like he's enraged and ready to rip someone's head off. All of the tracks in the game are well composed and set the stage for each situation well, whether it's action or drama or humor.

Controls: 7/10
The control area is where my biggest gripe lies. Most of the attacks and abilities are pretty much a single button affair, meaning it's mostly button mashing with slightly different button combinations to pull off a variety of attacks. Unfortunately, the action gets so hectic sometimes that you simply forget about those combos and keep doing the same combinations over and over. The more advanced techniques require a bit more strategy and timing, but a well designed training mode helps with that issue.

Another gripe I have is with the difficulty. The difficulty is described as three levels (aptly named 1, 2, and 3.) Unfortunately, even at the lowest difficulty setting, the AI always seems to be quite the cheap type, meaning that you end up playing quite a few battles, a lot of which end in frustration, before you finally beat the opponent you're on. Luckily, you can customize your characters' attributes and build up their levels so that these fights aren't so tough. (See below for more.)

Replay: 10/10
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is more than just a fighting game. Sure it has the standard versus mode, but it also comes with a story mode where you can relive various storylines with your favorite characters, including the Saiyan Saga and the attack of the androids, while building them up by equipping them with various items that improve their stats (such as higher chi, more life, etc.) and then battling enemies, with each fight increasing their experience, effectively increasing their stats and overall level. You can save your custom character with a password so you can share them with your friends.

In addition, a reference mode is on hand for those who are new to the series so they can get more info on what's going on and who's who. There's also challenge modes where you can try to improve your ranking with your character so you can improve your fighting skill, earn more money, and increase your experience. A variety of tournament modes also keeps things fresh as well.

Overall: 8/10
If you don't mind the sometimes cheap computer, then I'd definitely recommend Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 to anyone who likes a good, unique fighter. The variety of things to do, as well as customizing your character and seeing the various classic storylines, will definitely keep anyone busy for awhile. Even if you're not a fan, I'd still suggest renting it to see if you might enjoy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/17/07