Super DBZ

Is this the dawn of a new era for Dragonball Z games? For years the license was exclusive to Atari. This new title, Super Dragonball Z, comes from Namco Bandai, and is apparently a port of a little-known arcade game.

Up until now I wasn’t aware that DBZ had hit the arcades. Regardless of its heritage, most will see it as a sequel to Budokai. It's not hard to think of it as such: most of the game's attack styles are very similar. Those who have played the previous DBZ fighters will be able to pick up the controller and start winning fights without thinking twice. It's been months since I've touched the series, yet I encountered no roadblocks in my quest. I picked a random character (as I often do when playing a new fighting game for the first time) and defeated my first opponent, Piccolo, in a couple of minutes. To win, I randomly pushed buttons on the controller and repeated my motions whenever a combo was linked.

As always, Gohan, Goku, Krillin, Piccolo, and Vegeta are playable. The game also features numerous characters from the show's latter seasons, including Trunks, Cell, Frieza, and both Android 16 and Android 17. The selection of 15+ playable characters is on par with most arcade games, but is a bit weaker than the 25+ found in many console fighters. Granted, DBZ has a limited number of relevant stars to work with, whereas other fighting games can continually invent new ones. An obscure thug or monster could've added something special to the experience, but only if the developers made that character more integral than it was in the original story.

Nonetheless, the included characters are quite satisfactory. Piccolo has his trademark, powerful moves, as do all of the characters. The saying, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" has new meaning, as these warriors can easily lift themselves in the air. Flying makes you harder to track down, but that's also true for your adversaries. Close combat is quick and combo-heavy; other moves need to be a little more planned out. Circling your opponent (press up or down) creates an evasive walk that's designed to make the game feel a bit more dimensional, and feels a lot like the place where it originated – Soul Calibur.

The controls are responsive and follow one of the standard arcade layouts: normal attack, strong attack, guard, and jump. Jumping is typically done with the D-pad (or joystick on an arcade machine), but that needed to be changed in order to give players the freedom to hover and dodge attacks. Though it might feel a little weird if you've just come off a game of Tekken or Street Fighter, the system works well. Long before the first fighting game was made, the only way to jump was by pressing a button. Re-learning that style shouldn't take more than a few minutes. It's much more simplistic than it sounds. The whole feeling of the game will likely remind players of Smash Bros., Naruto, and the other DBZ fighting games.

Super DBZ is big on traits, playing to the strengths and weaknesses of each character. Heftier guys like Majin Buu have a harder time moving, and aren't as aggressive with their combo sets. They hit hard, but can't move as fast, and don't strike as often. You'll have to re-think your strategy when playing as him if you're used to controlling faster, smaller characters like Gohan or Chi-Chi. In addition to being more agile, Gohan's combos involve a lot more hits. With only two attack buttons used, remembering which button to press and when isn't that difficult. But just in case you forget, the game offers a move list that can be viewed when the game is paused.

Beyond the usual single-player and competitive versus modes, Super DBZ offer Z Survivor (play until you die) and a card-creation mode that lets you create player cards. You'll get the opportunity to learn new skills, which doesn't take too long as the game is rather easy to grasp, regardless of the characters you've chosen to control.

Super Dragonball Z isn't quite "super" enough to warrant a purchase by all DBZ fans. It is, however, worthy of your time if you love the cast and the previous games in the series (even if they're not officially connected). Because of its repetitive nature – and the fact that it's more of the same – I suggest that you rent it first. If you're concerned about wasting money on a rental for a game you're almost certain you'll want to own, get it from Blockbuster. They allow you to purchase rented games for the full price less the rental fee, so you don't drain your gaming funds in the process.

Gameplay: 7.6
Potent punching, killer kicking, wholesome … hovering? Super Dragonball Z is the fighting game fans have come to expect, with loads of combos (the punch-kick-punch and rolling motion kind), evasive flight moves, and super attacks that let you unleash these warriors’ inner power. It’s repetitive, and a lot like the other Dragonball Z games out there. But if you love them, you’ll enjoy this – and if you haven’t played the series before, Super DBZ is an easy way to enter.

Graphics: 8.0
Excellent visuals in the vein of the show. This series has had accurate animations for years, and its stage and character designs are finally coming into their prime. Fans will be more than pleased with the latest DBZ effort.

Sound: 7.0
Decent, but not Earth-shattering.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Not much has changed in the world of DBZ. If you finished the last game and memorized a few combos, or accomplished that task with any other combo-heavy fighter, then you won’t find Super DBZ to be that great of a challenge.

Concept: 6.9
Nowhere near innovative, Super DBZ isn’t on par with what it meant to be “Super” in the SNES days.

Multiplayer: 7.8
It doesn't matter how many times you defeat AI-controlled opponents – nothing can compare to the fun of battling a real-life opponent. This is a smooth, easy to learn, mainstream fighting that players of all skill levels can gather around and enjoy. Hardcore gamers may tire of the experience once they've memorized every move from every fighter, but there's quite a bit of excitement they'll get out of the game before that moment comes.

Overall: 7.7
A good fighter that respectably uses the Dragonball Z license. The game is highly recommended to newcomers. If you've played the other games in the series, give this one a few rounds before taking it home, via rental or store kiosk.