Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi

Reviewed by Miguel Herrera
April 26, 2006

Developer: Spike Publisher: Atari Consoles Available: PS2 Number of Players: 2 ESRB Rating: T for Teen Website: Click Here

Screenshot of DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi.

While the last three Budokai games followed the conventional way of fighting, this new installment changes gameplay and gives a new perspective in the fighting genre. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi includes a story mode where you relive some of the greatest DBZ battles as hero or villain. This game also offers a lot for players to do including unlockable characters and different game modes. Tenkaichi honors the original Dragon Ball Z anime series, which is known for its fighting scenes. By enabling players to emulate those intense battles, one can relive flying at high speeds, destroying the battlefield, and journey to become the ultimate warrior in the universe. If you are a fan of the Budokai series then you will notice some major differences, one being the third-person fighting perspective, with simple controls.

In most cases, the camera angles work very well, but there are times when you might be behind an object and won't be able to see. Another issue with the camera views is the split screen in 2 Player mode. This format makes it difficult to find each other and it becomes frustrating to play because you spend more time trying to find your opponent than actually fighting.

The controller is very simple compared to the previous three games. Unfortunately due to this change the game has a very limited combo system. The square button becomes your punch and kick, which limits the different combos that can be performed, not to mention how you perform characters' finishing moves such as the Spirit bomb and Final Flash. The configuration seems simple but soon players realize that you must go from dashing at high speeds with X, going up in the air or down with R1 and R2 and other functions.

I think they have done a very good job at having a massive amount of characters to choose from 57 with 87 forms each with a unique way of fighting. They have allowed for customization with different skills. I also like the story because it follows the anime and movies, I also like how they added stories for the villains and see what would happen if they were victorious. Fans of the series and the game will definitely see more than their money's worth with this game.

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