Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu

"Finally a good review for a good game!"

Okay let me just start by saying that people tend to purposely look for flaws in games instead of realizing what is actually nice about games. This is a very good DragonBall Z game. It is a 2D fighting game with characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Brolly, and much more in it. The one thing that i found interesting is the ability to unlock new characters and new features such as an image gallery or a music gallery, it gives the player something to work for.

Graphics: 9/10

For me graphics are not a big deal but there are several people who seem to think that the graphics in this game are bellow standards. I only ask what are you talking about these are some of the best ''Hand Held Game'' graphics ever made. I think that people are missing the point that this is Game Boy Advance not Playstation 2. The characters attacks are all different and all have there own correct color. Unlike past DBZ games that every attack looks alike *ahem* Ultimate Battle 22. The characters look just next to perfect. The creators did a great job turning anime style drawings into computer sprites.

Sound: 10/10

Once again I feel that sound is not very important. I'm satisfied with as long as a game has sound it's good enough for me. On a GameBoy Advance level you would think that not much could be done with sound. A mono speaker with a few beeping and they occasional sound of a character is what is expected. However I was blown away with the sound in this game. This game actually has battle songs from the American(not the Japanese thank God) show. You really start to get into the fighting when you hear the songs its almost like your watching the show for a second.

Gameplay: 7/10

Here is what makes or breaks a fighting game. The overall gameplay is for the most part good. It is a classic style 2D fighter jumping, kicking, punching, and special Ki attacks. The lack of moves for the characters is a bit disappointing(only 3 per fighter) but that isn't too bad. The one thing that I wish I could have seen was the ability to fly. This is a DBZ game so DBZ fighting should have been included. The lack of the ability to fly is why I'm rating the gameplay a 7 instead of a 9. For the most part you will really enjoy the fighting if you can look past the flying and lack of moves.

Story: 4/10

This is what kills most fighting games, and it did this one too. I feel story is important to all games but more so with RPGs rather than fighting. A fighting game can get by with a good rating and still have a mediocre story to it. The story of this game is there is none, there is not story mode or anything. The only story is at the end after you beat the tournament mode with each character it summarizes why the character fought and what they got out of it. They could have put a small story part in where you fought linear battles with cut scene in between and summaries of all the battles through out DBZ. Furthermore, a story is lacking but don't let it discourage you from buying this great game.

Overall: 8/10

If you like Dragon Ball Z then you will like this game. There is no reason to read my review if you truly like DBZ. If you don't then you better read my review to see what your buying. It is a great Fighting DBZ GameBoy Advance game with great graphics, excellent music, and decent gameplay.
Buy/Rent: Buy if you like DBZ if not rent first but at least give the game a try.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03