Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai

"Better than the PS2 versions? Maybe..."

The Graphics: 9
These graphics are stellar. They are at least as good as the PS2 versions, and they are portable. The resolution is great, and the cel-shaded graphics are perfect for the explosions and flashes simulated.

The Gameplay: 10
This is the best part of the game. The gameplay is infinitely deeper than its predecessors. With the chargeble blasts that do more hits, to real time ultimates, the gameplay has improved greatly. Also a great factor is there are no clones. Clones are very annoying, but here each character has a different and original moveset. This really heightens the gameplay value. Although there are only 18 characters, it seems as so much more because most games of this sort have six clones. A little added bonus is the transformations' properties. If you use certain characters, they can use double ultimates for extra damage. For people with transformations, there movesets change slightly and you will have to develop a new strategy after transformation.
Vegeta base-----> Majin Vegeta

The Sound: 7
Meh. Not up for any grammies. The game music is intense which is great for this type of game, but the music gets annoying very quickly. But, it saves itself because the sound effects are just phenomenomalicious (not a word). The explosions sound great, along with the other effects.

The controls: 8
This game has pretty good controls, considering it has 4 less buttons than the PS2 versions. It becomes annoying because there are often combinations which slow down the play a lot when you are good, but what can you expect with such deep gameplay?

The replay value: 9
Truly excellent. Any fans of Tekken should come hither, for the gameplay value here is deeper. The deep gameplay really makes it so you can get a lot out of the game. It is fun to learn strategies with each player, and then finding your favorite (coughs) *Goku*.

The final score: 9
This is a great game, my favorite so far for the PSP. This would be great as an arcade game. The deep gameplay here is really worth it, the only problem here there is no online play. Buy this now!!!!!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/06