"We're half-way there.."

The second installment of the Supersonic Warriors series (as there will likely be more than just two), takes what made the first one great and adds in some new stuff, like the touch screen and the ability to switch characters in this manner. Because of this, and the addition of several new characters, Supersonic Warriors 2 takes a formula that's been proven to work, and added on some new stuff.

Gameplay: 6/10

If you're like me, you loved the first game because of the quick action, the constant mid-air battles.. fights that made you feel like you were a part of the game. Because the Gameboy Advanced lacked two buttons the DS has, the creators quickly made use of that and spread out the functions. No longer can you block by holding down an attack button. That's certainly a plus, and adds a bit to the difficulty, but not much.

However, I was disappointed in how poorly they utilized the touch screen. I suppose, for a game (or any fighting game, really), that's the best they could come up with. However, I constantly get this nagging feeling that they could have done something more with it outside of switching characters, summoning help, and using the mediocre partner attacks.

Add to the fact that during Story Mode, you unlock the alternate paths through a process of repetitive trial and error (and many times, you can't until you get further into the NORMAL storyline), and that merely raises the frustration level. Engrish is splattered here and there, and alot of the attacks are laughably mis-named. And don't get me started about how screwed up some of the storylines are, even in the normal timeline.

Graphics: 7/10

The character models are 2-D. There's not much you can do to screw that up, but there's a disturbing lack of the right colors in the right places. Since when was Kamehameha yellow? If you can look past that, Supersonic Warriors 2 offers a plethora of interesting battle arenas, many of them fans would recognize from the various movies.

What hits the graphics hard, however, is the fact that there's NO interactivity with the backgrounds. There's alot of potential there for interactivity on some level, yet the only semblance is that some levels let you move high, or let you move really far left and right, but you won't notice this unless you're messing around anyway.

Sounds: 5/10

If you like the American voices, you'll be pleased to know that the game stays true to them. In a way. These sound clips of voice acting come generally only when signature moves are made. Except, of course, for the obligatory grunts and groans of the warriors as you fight. The music isn't too bad, and it somehow feels Dragonball enough to not get annoying for the first five hours or so.

Bells and Whistles: 0/10

There's alot to unlock in the game. Attacks, new characters, new attacks of varying sorts.. but..

Where the hell is the wi-fi capability? This game would've been incredible if only Atari had decided to add some semblance of wi-fi to it. Instead, we get rooked into playing with people that we either don't know, or like the franchise in some way. And the worst part? Your opponent has to have his own cart of the game in order to play multiplayer? Why?!

Final Score: 5/10

This game takes the first game, and improves it. However, it doesn't improve it where it really counts, and that hurts the game. And in some places, the game even feels a little rushed.

Rent or Buy?: Rent, if you're not a big fan of the franchise, just to experience a decent Dragonball Z game/fighter on the Nintendo DS.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/05