Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors

"Quite simply the best fighting game on the GBA"

The Game Boy has never had much success with fighting games...the odd game will be fun for a while, but the buttons are so limited that people get frustrated trying to pull off combos with just a combination of A and B. All that has changed with the release of Dragonball Z: Supersonic Warriors.

Make no mistake; I'm not biased because this is a DBZ game, I haven't watched for a few years since it moved to a channel I don't have. Since then I haven't given it much thought, but this game really captures the fast-paced, high energy battles of the anime. For starters, it LOOKS the same.

The style of the game is really quite simplistic. The characters are all quite similar, so you'll never find yourself having to go to menus to master all their different combos, which in my eyes is a good thing. I like to win fights with skill, not by having a stroke of luck and finally being able to pull off an uber attack (*cough*TEKKEN*cough*). If you like Super Smash Brothers, then you should give this game a try. It's really one of those pick up and play titles, perfect for on the move.

DBZ really does belong on the GBA. The Playstation "Budokai" games have tried to catch the graphical style with Cel-shading, but it still doesn't look quite right. Taiketsu failed miserably with shoddy "3d" graphics. But this is spot on. Sprites that look like they're been ripped from the cartoon. When the characters are close to the screen, you can see the detail. The backgrounds have a moving pseudo-3d effect, and look fantastic as you fly around. The energy blasts look pretty cool (although I should mention, there have been complaints about signature moves being the wrong colour), and with signature moves, it shows a closeup of the character's face a second before they unleash the attack.

Graphics: 9/10, It doesn't get much better on the GBA, crisp and clear.

For gameplay you are offered a range of modes, including Story, Z Battle, Challenge Mode and Free Battle. Story is where the meat is at. Each character has their own "IF" story, basically what would happen if that Z Warrior won all their battles. In addition there are 3 "Sagas", the Frieza, Android and Buu sagas. Each story or saga is made up of numerous fights, with text and pictures explaining the story between each fight. Some magazines have whined that these story sequences are long and confusing, basing their scores around that. Not exactly a valid point, as you can press start to skip them.

Of course what you really want to know is how the battles play out. Modes and graphics count for nothing if the core gameplay isn't fun. Luckily, the battle system is the best on the GBA.

As I said before it's a little like Smash Brothers. As you move closer to your opponent the camera moves in closer to get the action better. As you move further away the camera moves out to see the whole arena. By pressing the d-pad you can move in any direction, including diagonals. If you double tap a direction you can dash, to cover more distance, chasing your opponent or running from them. Flying is that simple.

B is your weak, quick attack, A is your slightly slower, strong attack. By holding A or B down, you block, and can release them after blocking a hit to retaliate. Particularly satisfying. Of course, the enemy can block this and do the same, leading to some great spars. You can't just block all day though, at the top of the screen there is a balance meter. As you block hits the dot in the middle will move towards your side of the balance meter, and gradually move back towards the middle when you stop blocking.

If, however, the dot touches the side of the meter, you're in trouble. You will be completely vulnerable for a while after your block breaks, and will simply fall through the air. At this point the opponent can dash around you in true anime style, smashing you back upwards or down into the dirt, until the dot returns to the middle of the meter and you regain control.

Of course, that's not all there is to it. I haven't even mentioned Ki Attacks. By holding R, the percentage next to your health will rise (From 0% to 100% obviously). When you hold R, pressing A will fire a strong Ki Blast and B will fire a weak one (or several weak ones if you tap it). If you have at least 50%, you can use your signature moves by pressing A and B at the same time whilst holding R. These moves change depending on where you are in relation to your opponent.

Battle System: 10/10, the best on the GBA.

The controls are great and easy to pick up. You'll immediately be able to have fun without having to memorise moves of your selected character. However, there is a downside to this. There isn't a lot of difference between characters besides their signature moves. A bit more strength here and there doesn't make the biggest difference.

Overall Gameplay: 9/10

Another great thing about this game is the amount of unlockables. As I mentioned before, each of the 13 characters has their own IF story, and you only start out with a few. The rest must be bought from the shop, with points you get from completing stories and challenges. In addition each character has 3 forms, each stronger than the last. These have to be bought to use in Challenge Mode, Z Battle and Free Battle. You start out with the Frieza Saga and the other 2 Sagas must be bought. And that's not all... So basically, it'll keep you busy.

Overall a fantastic buy to pick up and play anytime. I'm giving this a 9 out of 10 because of the lack of variation between characters. It's not perfect, but right now it's THE fighting game on GBA.

Overall: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/04