According to my calculations, about 9000 Dragon Ball game exist, and some of them are even pretty good! OK, that's a bit harsh, but the franchise has a long history of succumbing to the licensed gaming curse and producing garbage that Fairy tales, Ultimate Tenkaichiand Last match (which was my first Dragon Ball game).
For every stinker, Goku seems to find a way to play in a decent game that respectfully pays homage to Akira Toriyama's legendary manga and Toei's anime. Great games are easy to come by, but the same can't be said for genuinely super awesome titles. In fact, only a handful DBZ releases warrant the label “perfect, within reason.” And I will list them.
I know that a 10/10 DBZ The game doesn't actually exist, at least when viewed in a vacuum. But the next few games accomplished what they were trying to do as well as they could.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
The 10/10 Competitive Fighter
Well, we might as well get the most obvious game out of the way. Dragon Ball FighterZ broke the franchise's competitive curse, and it only required contracts with the standard bearers of anime fighters: Arc System Works. While it wasn't the first or last project with satisfying combat, FighterZ was arguably the first to create a balanced roster, especially at launch (the DLC characters are cool, but they've messed things up at times).
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Although it may not offer a billion characters as Sparkling! Zero, FighterZ sets it up with 3v3 battles that require players to assemble cohesive teams. Moving away from the 1v1 formula, the game greatly expands the strategic element of fights, as you have to account for things like assists and early swamps.
Fan service is pretty much a cornerstone of all of them Dragon Ball games, and FighterZ caters to this side of things through its gorgeous presentation, intro, finish, and sheer animation quality. The graphics are something like “DBZ” as they can be while allowing the game to find its own style.
I specified “competitive fighter”, because I don't think the single player content is that great. don't get me wrong, FighterZ features three stories, far more than most other games in the genre. But they cycle through repetitive fights and are too easy for far too long.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
10/10 Fanservice Arena Brawler I went back and forth on whether to choose Budokai 3 or Budokai Tenkaichi 3and I went with the latter purely because it has a slightly more special place in my heart. As said, Budokai 3 is incredible and has better gameplay/combat than Budokai Tenkaichi 3. They are also very different, despite their titles.
Before Sparkling! Zero took excess to the next level, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was the definitive “everything and the sink” Dragon Ball game. At roughly 160 characters, Spike didn't Even try to balance the list, instead of just creating the most Dragon Ball game to ever exist. It's over-the-top, bloated, sometimes frustrating, and style-over-substance, all of which are positive qualities for me. Instead of 2D screens, Budokai Tenkaichi and its sequel are all about destructible 3D arenas that let you smash enemies through mountains and perform feats that even Goku would be proud of. Although it's very much designed to be pick-and-play, the game has more depth than most people probably remember, and there's a big gap between someone who's “good” and someone who's “good” at Budokai Tenkaichi 3.If you want a chaotic sandbox where Yamcha can trade blows with Baby or Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, you won't find a better option than BT3.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2 AND Buu's Fury
10/10 GBA RPGs
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Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II
System
- Released
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June 17, 2003
- ESRB
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E For All // Violence
- Developer
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Webfoot Technologies
- Publisher
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Infogram, Atari
- Engine
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game engine
- Multiplayer
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Local multiplayer
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Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury
System
- Released
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September 14, 2004
- ESRB
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E For all // Cartoon violence
- Developer
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Webfoot Technologies
- Publisher
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Infogram, Atari
Remember when I said no Dragon Ball is a 10/10 in a vacuum? Well, I kind of lied Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Rage is among the very best action RPGs on the GBA, and Nintendo's console is not lacking in options.
The amazing thing is that Webfoot's first effort in the trilogy, The legacy of Gokuis something terrible, and a reversal seemed most unlikely at the time; yet, somehow both sequels fix almost all the problems of their predecessor, and become accurate DBZ masterpiece in the process. No other game translates the anime's power scaling as easily as this duology does, as you gradually feel like you're reaching your full potential by unlocking new moves, improved stats, and transformations.
Thanks to their 16-bit images, Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Rage still has absolutely stunning renditions of Western City, Grand Kai's Planet and more. Each area is packed with optional quests and things to discover, so they're not just ready-made dressings either.
Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure
The 10/10 love letter to the original Dragon Ball
95% of Dragon Ball game adapts DBZ (or maybe Super), relegating Goku's formative years to a footnote or a handful of fights buried in the menu. The original Dragon Ball doesn't emphasize combat as much as its successors, so it makes sense that most developers would focus on the more iconic, action-packed eras; but they are missing an opportunity to create something truly special in an area that has yet to be killed.
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A relatively small release in the grand scheme of things, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure does an impeccable job of capturing the tone and spirit of the manga's earliest chapters, mixing a sense of adventure with charm and combat. Technically speaking, Advanced adventure is an action platformer, but that would be a disservice to how it handles both sides of that equation.
Goku's controls are almost flawless, and that goes for both his movement and combat. Rather than beams, combat consists of melee combos, dive kicks and Power Pole spins, which reflect Dragon Ballhumble beginnings. The game even includes a 1v1 battle system, which comes into effect during tournaments or boss battles.
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
10/10 DBZ Turn-Based JRPG
Did you know that Monolith Soft, the developer behind Xenoblade Chroniclesreleased one DBZ turn based RPG? Attack of the Saiyans doesn't get the love it deserves, perhaps because it was released on a system flooded with similar projects. Even though it only covers up to the Vegeta arc, the campaign still feels substantial and highlights characters like Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien far more than most DBZ game.
Turn-based might sound like an odd fit for the most famous battle shonen story of all time, but Monolith Soft makes it work by uses a system similar to Mario and Luigi, allowing players to improve their team's performance by pressing the right button at the right time. While standard battles are usually good, Attack of the Saiyans' Boss battles can be downright brutal and even tactical, more so than most DBZ game.
If recent games prove anything, games exclusive to Nintendo's handheld systems constantly seem to have graphics that still look incredible. Personally, I prefer the art styles Legacy of Goku 2 and Advanced adventurebut Attack of the Saiyans still has top notch sprite work and art.
Honestly, Attack of the SaiyansThe biggest flaw is the lack of a sequel.
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