Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

Written by Tim Stevens  on October 22, 2004

Final Glimpse: Just as corny as the TV show, but looks to be a lot more entertaining for non-fans.

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The first Dragon Ball Z: Budokai was yet another DBZ game designed almost exclusively for DBZ fans. It was fun, but didn't have the chutzpa to reach beyond those smitten with the show. The second Budokai was better, but still lacked mass appeal. Amazingly, it looks like the third time's the charm for this series, as Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 not only has a title that rhymes, but has the potential to be good enough to hold the attention of those who follow not the way of Goku.

In its third incarnation, Budokai brings 40 fighters to the table fighting in a number of 3-D arenas that will be familiar to fans of the show. Dragon Mode returns this year slightly enhanced; here the gamer must fly around looking for fights that generally fit loosely into the DBZ storyline, earning points to upgrade his fighter in a mildly RPG-like way, unlocking new characters and special moves all the while. You can also take part in a series of tournaments, battle against the CPU or a human opponent in one-off matches, or go through a lengthy practice tutorial.

This year you'll really need it, because they've added a number of new aspects to the game's combat system, which not only serve to make this a deeper and more entertaining fighter, but also make it look considerably more like the show. The basic physical combat in the game is still rather limited, but the game really gets going with the over-the-top supernatural moves that are the show's signature. Why punch and kick when you can fire massive beams of energy across the screen at your opponent? And, like any good cartoon, when two opponents' beams meet, it's a battle to see whose strength is greatest as the two beams collide. In the game it's not so much the strongest character as it is the one who can spin the analog stick fastest, but watching the dividing line between the beams sweep back and forth with a blaze of colorful fireworks is a great effect you won't see in other fighters.

This year you can perform teleporting counters, where a timely block will pop you out behind your opponent and give you an opportunity to attack. You can also perform teleportation combos, where you knock your opponent into the air then teleport next to them, knock them back, and meet them again for a third whack. Finally there's Dragon Rush Attack, a lengthy and cinematic attack that, once executed, plays through by itself. But, the attacker and defender will need to enter button combos as the attack plays to determine just how much damage is inflicted. And, there are of course the same fireballs and other special attacks we've seen in the previous games.

Graphically things are looking about the same as they did last time, with cell-shaded characters that look very close to what you'd see in the show, and simple but interesting looking arenas. Audio is great, largely sampled from the series, and featuring plenty of dialog voiced by the show's American cast.