Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

"It's over Nine THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!"

It's something that game developers love to do with a series, have multiple installments with subtle changes without changing the core elements. Fighters are a prime example of this notion. Almost every game in the series is exactly the same in terms of gameplay; save for a few tweaks, some extra characters, and a shiny new coat of paint. In 2005, developer Spike gave us the successor to the popular Dragon Ball Z Budokai series, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi. Tenkaichi introduced a new way to play, allowing DBZ fans to choose their favorite characters and duke it out in fully destructible, 3D maps using a new fighting engine and free flight. Prior to that, everything else was just training. However, how does Tenkaichi hold up two games later? Read on, my friend.

Presentation

In order for a good anime-based video game to sell well, it has to please its fans; and in order to please the fans, one of the things said game must do must look the part of the anime it is based upon. Dragon Ball has a HUGE fan base, and you DO NOT want to get a DBZ fan babbling about how someone or something has made a mockery of their favorite series. Thankfully The Tenkaichi series has got the look of the DBZ anime down pat, and each successive game has improved graphics, even if only slighty. Tenkaichi 3 looks good. I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan, I mean this game is damn pretty. The characters for the most part look the same as they did in Tenkaichi 2, but the textures, colors, and little things like blast effects have been improved. The entire game just screams anime; this is cel shading at its best.

Sound

There's nothing like beating the crap out of a fictional character in a game. Hey, for me, its a stress reliever. Its even better when you can kick their ass while listening to some nice tunes. Granted it would have been better to add the original anime tracks in here (US and Japanese) but what we get isn't bad at all. It's better than last year's Tenkaichi 2 that's for sure. Whereas only one or two tracks were worth a listen in 2, the entire soundtrack is good here. Lots of techno and rock to help bash your opponent's head in. "Menace", "Survive", and "Burnin' up" are my personal faves. As far as soud effects go, things sound like they should in Dragonball, you have your "energy shot", "teleport", and "power up" sounds; as well as that kickass "swish-swish" sound when somebody is channeling their aura. Voice work is all done by the same actors who voiced the characters in the anime. Goku sounds like Goku, Vegeta still acts like a selfish brat. Fat Buu still talks like a 2 year old, etc etc. Also if you believe that english dubbing is the scum of the earth and would rather hear them speak in a language most of us probably can't understand, you have the option of switching over to the original Japanese voice track if you want.

Gameplay

So far, I have been reviewing DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 as if it were a fighting game, and while it certainly feels like one, it's not. This game can be best described as a "Battle Simulator." There are no complex button sequences you have to memorize, but rather almost all of a character's attacks can be done by holding down a button(s) and pressing another. Basic attacks are done with square for your melee and triangle for energy shot, while Circle blocks and X dashes. The shoulder buttons handle your ki charge and Jump/Ascend/Descend. There are a TON of game modes. Dragon History allows you to relive the DBZ stories, from the arrival of the Saiyans to the defeat of Omega Shenron, and everything in between. Duel mode, so you can battle with your friends. World Tour allows you to fight in tournaments so you can earn points to strengthen characters and buy items. Ultimate Battle, a series of tough battle challenges for you to conquer. Training, a practice mode, and Evolution Z, where you can customize you favorite characters to create the ultimatle super fighter so you can own your buddies in Duel mode. There's even a replay feature so you can save your best fights and view them later; that's so you can remind your buddy how you beat his Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta with a mere Saibaman. You can even upload data from the past two Tenkaichi games to unlock extra game modes. Jeez, with all this, you'll be playing for a long time to come.

Any Flaws?

Yes. As good as this game may seem, its not perfect. For one thing, there are over 160 characters in this game. While that is an impressive roster, many characters' special attacks are very similar to one another, so Goku's Kamehameha looks too similar to the Vegeta Galick Gun attack, and some other beam wave thing someone else shoots out. There isn't a whole lot of variety to the attacks, and they don't look big and flashy. Come on! This is DBZ! Attacks are supposed to be flashier looking. Another thing is that many of the characters are considerably weaker than others. Many fans will probably only have a few characters that they seriously use, while everyone else is a gag. Fans of traditional fighting games will be turned off by these quirks, as this game isn't as in depth as say, a Tekken or Street Fighter. For the most part, this is a game for the fans.

Final Words

If you are a fan of Dragon Ball, or of anime in general. I would strongly suggest you give this game a go. Even if you don't really like anime all that much but are a fan of fighting games. I would still say at least give this a try. Spike has fine tuned their brawler into the ultimate package, and it would be a shame for any fan of fighting games to pass this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/07

Game Release: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (US, 11/13/07)