Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku

"It could have been better, but it's still a good game."

Dragonball games have come a long way, gamepay wise. But some companies still can't get the concept of ''fast fighting''. As obviously seen in this game. I really wanted to like this game and I do, but it could have better that's all.

Animation: Some animation in this game is just plain wrong. When the characters talk, no matter whats happening Goku for some reason always looks sleepy. An example, when Raditz arrives and you have to fight him, Goku looks like he wants to go to bed other than save Gohan. (Goku's kid)They could have used more of a sayian-saga drawing for the Raditz and Vegeta/Nappa fights. I'm done complaing about the animation, so let me tell you what I do like about it. The opening movie sequence was perfect for a game like this. I looks like they took a lot of time doing it, it basically looks nothing short of excellent! When Goku flys on Kintuon (The yellow cloud) after Raditz kidnaps Gohan is cool straight from the manga. I rate the animation for the Legacy of Goku a 6/10

Concept: The game follows a lot of the original anime/manga. But if you never watched Dragonball Z or never read a Dragonball Z comic book ect. than you're in trouble. Because this game pretty much took a lot of short cuts, some of the basic under standing of the plots are hard to get. Since I've been a DBZ fan for almost all my life I knew what the story was without have this short-cutted game. When Piccolo uses his special- beam- cannon (or to others ''screw attack'') all you hear is a flash. You don't see anything. That's pretty cheap, if you ask me.And another cliche about the concept is how you fight Frieza (or to others Freezer) in all of his forms, except the original final transformation. As you continue the game you'll see what I mean. Also all these mini-sidequests such as saving a little girl from a pack of wolves, doesn't work for DBZ. Because Goku was always on his Kintuon while trying to find Raditz, so he never had time for that. Also, if they would have explained the whole ''Super Sayain'' cocept it to newbies, it would have been cool. So I rate the concept a 5/10

Gameplay: The gameplay is where the game kinda messes up, you really just run around a fight, the same old run-away-solar fare- charge up- fire huge blast. But I do like when you fight Vegeta, and the Ginyu Toreaski.(Ginyu Force)But other than that the true DBZ fighting style is gone. But the new fighting style is nothing I've really seen before. Although it would have been neat to see DBZ fighting on the GBA, although the strategy is pretty much the same for all the main bosses, the fighting style isn't that bad. I do know that starting off fighting Raditz would be hard for a beginner, but that's what ''Training mode'' is for. If this game had a ''Training mode'' all those stupid side-quest would be eliminated. And you could maybe fight Cell and Majin Buu. Man, that would be cool huh? It would be awesome if we could play as Krillen, Gohan, Vegeta or Gogeta maybe. But this Dragonball Z: The Legacy of Goku. So I won't take off for unplayable characters.Back to the side-quest, the only one that could've actually probaly happen would be the bank robbers in Pepper Town. That was fun. So the gameplay is not so bad, but I expected more. I rate the gameplay a 7/10

Graphics: Some character models for this game was impossibly dissapointing. Goku looks like Yamcha with a bad hair day. The Krillin and Gohan models aren't that bad. Bulma's model is terrible though, she is wearing her Namek uniform when you are on Kamme'Sennin's Island (Master Roshi's island)which makes no sense, I think that the dudes at Infograms are a little mixed up. The graphics are sorta dissapointing but the Namekians and the Ginyu Toreaski are right on the knob for their character models. Freezer (or Freeza) in all of his transformations are perfect. Vegeta looks like a I don't know what you call it, but when he transforms into a Ouzarou he looks great.(Ouzarou is a giant monkey) Nappa looks alright but if he was a tad bit bigger he'd look better. As for the Dinosaurs, they're great. Dispite Vegeta, and Bulma the graphics are alright. I will rate the graphics a 8/10

Sound: The sound is perfect for this game, in the times when the music is supposed to be gloomy it is, and so on. I really don't pay much attention to the sound to much, but in this game it was memerable. One glitch is that when Goku fires his Kamehamehamaha it sound like the laser beam in Megaman 8. It doesn't sound like a Kamehamahameha. (Guys who watch the anime know what I'm talking about.) The sound may have been what saved this game from a five. I'll rate the sound with a 10/10.

Overall: I was really hyped up about this game before my mom bought it for me for makin' the Honor Roll. I took it home and got started on it right away. I really liked the game a lot, but too much was missing, to much important stuff. The side-quest were nonsense. Goku getting a sailboat for a a kid in the pond, and getting experience points for it. Yeah, you know what I mean. It was just cliche. If their were no side-quest other than the bank robbers or the spirits in HFIL, we probaly could have seen the Buu and Cell sagas. Next time Infograms, please don't make pathetic side-quests. I would have expected the side-quest from a Dragonball game or a Dr. Slump game. Other than that, this game is (many of you will agree on this one)is too short. (Compared to games like Megaman Battle Network)The action was pretty good. When I fought Vegeta it was just like the manga. Bravo on the fight scenes!! As for 6he parts that I did enjoy, the opening sequence and the sound the Gameplay was alright. If you want this game, go non and get it. It should be rare in a few years.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/02, Updated 12/11/02