Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II

"Not quite the Super Saiyan, but it holds its ground."

Introduction

Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku 2 fulfills its purpose, to please fans of the anime series and to improve on the original game. Other than that you have a simple action-RPG with little appeal to those outside the fan-base.

Gameplay 6/10

I'll admit it; I am a Dragon Ball fan. I don't know why, but I find the ideas appealing and different. There are many people just like me who would consider this game just because it's Dragon Ball Z. It's a good choice. The gameplay is actually pretty decent. There are five playable characters, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Trunks, and Goku, who you can play with throughout the adventure. Each character has a standard set of punches, kicks and ki blasts. All melee moves are assigned to the A button, which leads to constant button mashing to defeat the enemies. All of the characters play very similarly, save for their signature moves. The game is very easy. If you have trouble with a certain boss, you can simply go around beating normal enemies, like snakes and wolves, to level up, which you do fairly quickly. The only real gripe I have about this game is the frequency of fetch-quests. Often you'll find yourself searching for someone or something instead of beating the enemies to a pulp, which is what Dragon Ball Z is all about. Once you found the person or thing, the fun continues.

Story 6/10

The game follows to the story of the Android and Cell sagas of the anime series. However, the pacing of the game is rather quick. If you've never watched the anime you will be lost very soon in the adventure. The game developers must have assumed that only Dragon Ball Z fans (just about everyone who plays games) will pick this up. If you don't watch the show, you'll still be able to grasp main plot points, but you won't understand everything.

Graphics/Sound 7/10

The graphics are almost identical to the first game. Not much is different. The graphics are not bad compared to other Game Boy games, but the system can do so much better. The look of the game is very close to the anime series, though. As for sound, the game is very well done. You often hear tunes from the cartoon show playing in the background. Surprisingly, the music is of very good quality, though again, not the system's best. Many sound effects like punches and flying seem to have been taken straight from the cartoon, which is a major plus for Dragon Ball Z fans.

Play Time/Replayability 4/10

This game has almost no replayability even for fans of the series. There is not much to do once the game is over. You can find all 25 Golden capsules to receive a little something special, but it's not that appealing. Also, you can level up to unlock certain areas only for high-level characters, but that doesn't last very long. A second time through would seem like a chore, what with all the fetch-quest and the like. What's more, the game is quite short, from 5-20 hours.

Final Recommendation 6/10

Overall, this is an okay game for Dragon Ball Z fans. It's not very deep, but it gets the job done. It's fun to play and it adds to nostalgia. If you are a fan, you should buy it. If not, there are so many Game Boy RPG's out there that are far superior.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/04