Dragon Ball Z: Budokai

"Good Enough For The Fans, Not For The Rest."

Introduction
Like many other americans, I was introduced to mainstream anime through Dragonball Z. There wasn't much to dislike, those many years ago. The story followed protagonist Goku, his son Gohan, and many other Z fighters as they fought enemies who threatened to destroy the universe.

Sure, the story wasn't much there. Goku got the crap beat out of him, Gohan saved the day, all the Z fighters sacrificed themselves, and then Goku saved everyone, forever... well maybe not forever.

So here the fanboys find Dragonball Z Budokai, a mediocre fighting game that really gets the nostalgic juices flowing. Taking on over twenty characters, you get to reenact your favorite battles, and start some new ones, as you tap the buttons till victory.

Budokai features a fighting system without a jump button, which really shows how simple the game really is. You have punch, kick, guard, and ki, and when you press the combos, you can do special moves. Not much drama here, and most combos are so simple to perform you can rely on them forever and they will never fail you, unless you're playing against somebody who loves the game.

There are transformations, so you can send your kaio-ken x2 Goku to Super Saiyan mode, and it is actually nice to have a bit of strategy. Transforming close to your opponent stuns them, opening them up for you to perform a combo or two.

Special combos consist of death moves, which is where you'll find your kamehamehas and galick guns; Physical moves, where you usually beat the crap out of your opponent, and Ultimate moves, which is where you can find things like Super Kamehameha's, Spirit bombs, and other great anime stuff with ridiculous names.

Story mode is actually a fun thing to do. If you don't mind the lame action that sometimes occurs onscreen, this actually lets you play through the story, or different alternate versions. There is a duel mode, which lets you fight the computer, another player, or watch two computers beat the crap out of each other (Hint: put the duel difficulty to very hard if you want to see cool things happening, other wise, they stand there and avoid each other the whole fight).

There is a world tournament mode, which (believe it or not) lets you enter a tournament and make money by placing first or second place. Then you can spend your earnings at the capsule shop, which will become your main source of capusles to customize characters with.

There is also a practice mode, which lets you beat the crap out of a dummy character and practice your ultimate moves. This isn't the most useful way, but if you put the difficulty mode to the highest AI level, you'll most likely get your butt kicked.

The problem with Budokai is it's lackluster gameplay. It's easy to learn, but it ultimately becomes so simple that you just get bored of it. The mediocre graphics don't help the situation either.

There are promising aspects of Budokai, but the execution of the game just doesn't cut it. Some players will learn the fighting system and like its simplicity, while others will wish there were more options for attacking. While canceling moves is neat, and the nostalgia itself will keep some players running, this title is more likely to burn out before you get 100% capsules, or right after.

Sound
Dragonball Z Budokai has what you would expect. Characters groaning as they get hit, energy swirling as they power up. If you've watched DBZ, then you know what sounds and voices to expect. Nothing special here, and the battle music is a little annoying.

12/15 points

Graphics
There aren't really pretty effects, but the game isn't completely ugly. Character models are strange when you build up your ki, and they look constipated. On the other hand, energy moves are interesting to watch. It's a mixed bag

13/20 points

Gameplay
A bit too simplistic, but the transformations and timing specific combos to charge attacks makes the gameplay a little more bearable. Don't expect a lot of combo moves, but timing ultimate moves the right way can make for some cool fights. Small arena transformations are present, but not enough to be spectacular.

34/50 points

Story
Not much to say. If you watch DBZ, then you know the story. The story mode goes up to the Cell Saga, so that's pretty much it. There are also some "What if" storylines unlockable, and a specific mode just for Hercule.

11/15 points

Replay Value
You don't want to start from scratch once you hit 100% capsules, but there are a lot of unlockable abilities and arenas. Enough to keep the fans, but not enough for most casual players.

(Medium)

Total: 60/100, or 6/10, according to GameFAQS.

Final Recommendation
It isn't worth getting if you don't like Dragonball Z or fighting games. However, if you like Dragonball Z, then you probably like fighting games, so if you think it's worth dealing with mediocrity, go ahead. Just borrow it, so you know what you're getting yourself into. If your friends like this game, expect them to be good.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/25/07