Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
The Dragon Ball series has always been intended for a select, hardcore group of fans wanting to experience the insane speeds of an anime from over a decade ago. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, for the first few hours, is a mixed bag of experiences.
With that said, this Dragon Ball Z title may be the best-looking game in the franchise. Visually, the game is stunning to watch. With over 100 characters from the long-running series (not all of them playable, as some are used for item shops and comic effect), each character brings out an impressive look to an anime that looks even less spectacular than the game itself.
To say the very least, this game looks stunning.
On the other hand, the controls take a couple hours to get used to manipulating. There's still a learning curve that may leave a bad taste in a gamer's mouth, particularly those who would like to learn a game within a couple minutes. While Atari should be applauded for implementing so many actions into four buttons and a d-pad, the game still feels a little bit awkward. This may be expected, as ports from standard controllers to the Wii may be a little more clumsy.
For example, holding Z while swinging the Nunchuk upwards has a character perform a dragon dash. Holding C while swinging the Nunchuk ascends and descends flight. Pressing left or right while swinging the Nunchuk evades attacks. While these aren't the most difficult actions in the world, they require several rounds in practice mode to iron out what you're doing on the screen. After all, that's a lot of Nunchuk swinging. Without extensive practice, like the characters in the series, you may not win a battle for a long time.
Luckily, the game hosts a variety of games to ensure that you learn the controls. While long lists of block text may not be so helpful in the training mode with Vegeta, taking each move one at a time can help iron out any problems.
After a few rounds in practice mode, Dragon Adventure seems to be the step up to keep your moves in line. Fans of the series will relive a lot of the dialogue and character actions in this section, as each chapter retells the story of the Dragon Ball Z saga. The game starts off with the Saiyan attacks on Earth and continue on from there. Like the cartoon, the dialogue is relatively basic. Bad guy enters area, bad guy wants to kill you, you fight the bad guy. Not much more can be expected from a player versus player game.
If this isn't Oscar-winning dialogue, I don't know what is.
So far, the game is moderately worth a purchase because of the, as Atari's press release so eloquently put it, "light RPG gameplay elements". While this is by no means an RPG, it is possible to increase your attack and speed over an extensive period of beating the snot out of baddies.
After playing for several consecutive hours, a break from the action was needed. Players frustrated with the controls may resort to button mashing, and hopefully not wearing the A button out by the first week of having the console. While this may not bother everyone, it is worth noting in case players are disappointed by the very evident lacking buttons to press on the Wii remote.
Luckily, the game also works with the GameCube controller and the Virtual Console controller, providing a similar experience from the other consoles. More will be revealed on that in Stage 2.
The audio is also a mixed bag. Fans of the franchise will find the music fitting for the series, though the music from Dragon Ball Z was mediocre to begin with. Players unfamiliar with the franchise may find the music a bit boring, but the developers probably had nostalgia in mind. The game won't be winning any audio awards, but it does the job for people re-experiencing the series.
This won't be the main event at Thanksgiving this year, but it may prove to be more fun as time and experience goes on. Stay tuned for Stage 2 to hear about multiplayer controls, tournament modes, character moves and techniques.
Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
