Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku

"Legacy? I think not."

I was reading Game Pro when I read an article stating the release of two Dragon Ball Z games on the Game Boy Advance. A game based on the Collectible Card Game, and the other called ''Legacy of Goku''. I immediately gotten my hopes up thinking that this would be a remake of the great SNES game, Legend of the Super Saiyajin

Gameplay: 6/10

I guess you can say this is like Zelda, but not near as good. You get to shoot energy balls, fly, and punch. That's about it. It gets dull and repetitive fighting helpless little animals to make you a better fighter. I mean, do I really have to kill the innocent little squirrel so I can get strong enough to defeat Raditz? Those who watch the anime know that Piccolo allies with Goku to defeat Raditz. In the game, Piccolo stands there and watch while you fight Raditz!!!

Graphics: 8/10

Not bad at all. The game is very colorful and the animation runs smoothly with few glitches. You can tell who the characters are if you follow the anime. The environment and backdrop looks nice with lots of trees. There are many little animals running around that Goku can kill. The video at the beginning looked very smooth. The ki attacks in the game look just like your basic fireball. The Solar Flare attack should of been a bright flash rather than a whole bunch of little energy balls. One thing I would like to see is Goku's footprints in the sand!

Sound: 6/10

I was quite shocked that the main theme song didn't play during the opening video to the game. It was some tune that I have never heard of. The sound effects are pretty basic, nothing too special. Goku does happen to yell out Kamehameha when he uses his signature attack.

Controls: 10/10

The controls are so easy that even a three year old could play this. One button will let you punch, and the other will let you shoot ki blast. The left shoulder button will let you switch energy attacks, and the other will let you fly. Plain and simple!

Challenge: 8/10

There are pretty much no puzzles. There are Quests that Goku can complete to earn experience points. These are no problem at all and are usually very simple. An example would be at the start of the game when you need to find Master Roshi's adult magazines. These magazines can be seen out in the open and you have to be blind to miss them. The only reason this category got such a high rating is that some enemies and the bosses caused me a lot of trouble to beat. I guess the fact that they were so tough for me is that Goku's arms are so short that you have to be touching the guy before you can hurt him. And then, your enemy will hurt you first and cause major damage.

Story: 6/10

Nothing new. Just like the anime. Begins with Gohan getting kidnapped by Goku's evil brother and ends with the popular Frieza Saga.

Replay: 6/10

I really don't plan on playing this game again. It was a big let down when I first played this.

Overall: 7/10

I really recommend you not buying this game. Don't even rent it. Get a game that's worth your money like: Advance Wars, Tactics Ogre, or Golden Sun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/03/02, Updated 01/07/03