"A Prime Example of What a DBZ Game Should Be"

Being a fan of the series, when I first saw this game I knew I had to have it. With over 125 characters, a story mode encompassing most of the series, and some features on the side, this game was definitely worth the purchase. Not having played any DBZ game since Budokai 2, this game definitely wowed me.

I'll start off with the graphics: they were, in one word, superb. Though cel-shaded, the battlefields and the characters look as if they were pulled right from the anime itself. The cut-scenes, though rare, seemed almost as if they were scenes from the show, and one in particular even had me fooled. It would have been nice, however, if there were more cut-scenes, and if they showcased a wider variety of effects. However, regardless of that, the graphics were mind-blowing to some degree.

The game also had a ton of characters; as I stated above, over 125. I think it totaled around 130 in the American release, but I'm still not sure. Now, with this large cast, it is obvious that there will be a few drawbacks. There were some balance issues, for starters. It was nice to see that "normal" characters like Hercule, Roshi, or Yajirobi were a bit weaker, but unless you're skilled (something I must confess to not being), they were nearly useless. So, even though there are so many characters, and finding a favorite is easy, you have to hope that the favorite you find can hold their own in a fight. Some characters also seemed easily over-powered. Freeza was the proud recipient of a ki attack that cost one bar of energy and could certainly do some damage if you didn't dodge.

The controls were decent. It was fun playing with the Wiimote, but I think this is one of those games where you do have to stand, unfortunately. Sitting on my bed, I had some trouble when it came to performing some of the combos and blast 2 attacks, and every time I dashed it would stop at the slightest movement of my wrist. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had used the Gamecube controller, or the classic one, but both had a bit more complicated set-up in regards to performing attacks, etc. The controls definitely could have been a bit more user-friendly (or sitting-friendly, if you prefer), but I still had an enjoyable time.

The story aspect was actually pretty fun. Even though you can't expect much from a fighting game, this game definitely delivers. The story-mode follows the anime pretty closely. It starts at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, moves through all the sagas with movies arcs thrown in where appropriate and finishes off with GT. Unfortunately, there was a definitive lack of the original Dragon Ball. Most of the story mode was handled well, with the earlier arcs having a keen amount of detail to the fights you participated in. However, some of the movie story-lines seemed poorly put together. Granted it will amount to fighting the same character many times, there is nothing as frustrating as fighting five Metacoolers, after fighting him about two or three times before that. There were also some annoying fights scattered about (Hercule vs. 18, for one) that really seemed unreasonable, and unneeded. However, this hardly detracted from the excitement of playing through the entire series (or, most of it). There were also a few more interesting modes other than the story. The tournaments were definitely well thought out, for the most part. Ultimate Battle Z is addictive, and fighting through all the various matches in it has given me a good deal of pleasure.

All in all, this game is definitely for the fans. From its superfluous amount of characters, to its decently detailed story mode, the game is certainly the best attempt I've seen at making a good Dragon Ball game. Despite its few setbacks, once you begin playing, all the frustrations easily melt away, leaving you with quite an experience. if you're a fan, get it. If you're not a fan, I still say get it.

Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/21/07