"Drag-it-on Ball Z: Tenkaichi 3"

I know that seeing my score then my review title, you are quite confused. Let me get it straight here and now that I don't hate the game, I in fact, love it like I loved Tenkaichi 2. I am reviewing this game heart fully and is not holding back in what I think. Remember my reviews are told as if you are in front of me and also remember, this is just my opinion, don't take it too seriously. I suggest using my review and others for a comparison on whether to buy the game or rent it.

To start off things, I been watching Dragon Ball, Z and GT series as it was being released in Japan. Hell, I didn't even understand it most of the time because there were no subtitles, but the fun part was watching with good friends and just watching the action. Over a decade later after the series has ended, we are still seeing the franchise going and going and going. With new games across major consoles and major handhelds, with action figures, TCG's and posters to soundtracks, this series looks like it isn't going to die soon. But when is it ever going to end? How much longer will this series be dragged on?

Like all Budokai and Tenkaichi games, we are introduced to a CG intro for the games. Usually it never makes sense and this game is no exception. You just have baddies fighting the goodies and it usually ends with an explosion and that is it. Like the games before this one, the options are kept simple and easy to follow. The best part about the options are that you have different DBZ characters talking and giving an description on what the option is and about. I am sure most of us, the first option we go to is Options. The main reason I go there? To change the language to Japanese. Admit it, it just sounds a lot better and if you been a fan like me for two decades, you prefer it over the American voices. Now I am not saying the American voices are bad, they put equally the amount of effort the Japanese did and I respect that. Mostly the new fans will appreciate the American voices over the old fans.

A great second option to visit is the training mode. This is a must even if you have played the other games. There were new moves, dodges and counters added. Some are pretty confusing at first, but remember the saying, practice makes perfect. After you learn everything there is to know about the game, head on to the actual fighting option where you can fight a friend or a computer. There everything goes and it's a great time to practice before heading to the story mode.

The story mode for this game has greatly been enhanced. However there is a terrible bad side to it. As you are fighting, sometimes an event will occur where you have to click the R3 button and then you watch what happens next. Sometimes these takes too long and you just want to get back fighting. It follows the anime almost to the exact detail but do we really need to see this all over again? How many times do we need to see Raditz and Nappa for example. You see this in all the games because it was part of the story, but make it somehow different, or combine them instead of separating the two stories. I rushed through because I couldn't take it anymore, I remember what happens in my sleep!

Best part about the storyline to me are the "what if's" where characters are put in situations that wasn't part of the story. It is an great addition and I loved it when they added in Tenkaichi 2 and I wish they put more in the future games. It brings a new experience to the story and it doesn't make it boring. It also does make you wonder that what if things did happen that way, would the series have ended the way it did.

Another mode that is addicting and fun is the Evolution Z mode. This is where you can customize your favorite character. You can make them stronger, use potaras and items and even unaffected by attacks. Use them against your friends and make them cry! When your friends can't hurt you and find them losing within seconds you can laugh in their faces and insult them. Hey it's all for fun right?

A great addition is the disc fusion option. If you have Tenkaichi 1 and 2 saved, you can unlock exclusive modes and gain Z-points. By gaining Z-points, you can increase the slots on your characters that you are customizing. This brings more options to your favorite characters. Make your favorite the ultimate character! There are 7 slots per characters and with over 150+ characters if you want a perfect save file, you are going to spending a lot of time on this game.

For the graphics of this game, it's perfect to me. The traditional atmosphere of the DragonBall universe is captured perfectly and you will recognize all the places if you seen the anime and the movies. Mountains, buildings and anything around you break adding a realistic touch to it. The character models are perfectly well done too. All the detail from the Kamehameha to the Final Flash is to the exact point. With the extra lighting and camera angles it's almost as if you are watching the anime instead of playing the game.

Music for this game is where I am least in favor of. Tenkaichi 2 to me had the best in the series and for this game, I don't quite remember any of it. That to me is pretty bad because to me, music is a major factor in a game. I am just glad they got rid of the Budokai music, I hated that track and I am glad it's finally gone. I also wish they would finally add in the anime battle music already. It would make the game perfect.

Now on to the flaws. First is the ridiculous amount of repeated characters. One example is Gokou. Yes I spell Gokou that way because that is the traditional way of spelling it. Gokou and Goku are both right so don't go super saiyan when seeing it spelt with an O. There are like how many in the game? Over 10? Ah you thought I was going to say over nine thousand! weren't you? Anyway, do we need that many? Yes, each one has different Ki blasts and Ultimate moves, but who cares? Why can't we have a couple Gokou's like grownup and kid version? Do we need a past version? A super new version, A saiyan new version, A saiyan level 2 version, A saiyan level 3 version and so on and so on? Most of the roster is Gokou and it's just a bore.

Besides that the roster is pretty solid and the most updated roster to date. But if you saw some of the new characters added, you really know they are dragging the series as long as they can. They have all the major characters added in a DBZ game long ago and now they are digging the bottom for characters to add in. They even added a character that wasn't even IN the DragonBall series. Next thing you know they might will start creating characters which will kill the franchise completely.

The difficulty I would have to say is a minor flaw. You really need to know what the hell to do in the game otherwise things are happening so fast you will be tossing your controller like it was a spear. The CPU shows you no mercy and they will dodge all your attacks and connect all their combos. A lot of concentration is needed but what happens to the younger fans that aren't that great in games like this? It will turn them off and play something else they can enjoy.

One major flaw is the unbalance of characters. It kind of forces you to use a strong character to have a chance to fight a strong character. Now it isn't impossible to defeat a strong character using a weak one, it just takes too long! For example, I use Android 18 as my main character, she can usually take out any character except when fighting let's say Gokou level 4 or a giant character. I have to concentrate more and sometimes even play unfairly to get the advantage. Good thing the androids don't have to charge Ki, it goes up automatically.

In closing, this game has a ton of replay value. That replay value doubles when you have friends to challenge. With so many characters in the game, even though most of them is Gokou there are still a good amount of others to use and test your skills. If you are a fan of DBZ/GT new or old, this is a must buy. The roster alone is worth it. It also has all the moves and sound effects from the anime. With all this packed into one game, it will lasts use until the next game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/08

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