Dragon Ball Z Budokai

Dragonball Z is a tale that originally begun as a hit Japanese comedy that mixes subtle references with mild adult humour with believable action sequences and the idea of a constant journey, building up strength, knowledge and power. However, adding a "Z" to the previous suffix, the show had a more serious attire, taking the previous adventures beyond what was humanly possible introducing a selection of reputable characters and names that have almost become known in the home. The main storyline to the update for the GameCube tries to capture the stylised design and atmosphere from the first three main sagas from the original show, presenting the 2D action in a superb 3D form. As with a majority of action franchises that revolve around the concepts of a good force against evil, the role of the main characters is to confront any threat to their homeworld, however with a oblique twist allowing characters to die, return and so forth. Unlike most pure fighting programs from Japan, the series combines action with fantasy plus wit and with this, the 'Dragonballs'

 

A drawback with the overall presentation is the direct contrast between the rendered sequences and the in game character animation. Although the movement on screen is fluid and controlled during combat, when stationary, combatants have a tendency to appear static and lifeless, perhaps evident when comparing to the FMV footage. Where the main presentation values saturate is in the rendering, the livid contrast in colours on clothes and skin can be found, hair and clothes movement in the prevailing winds

 

When trying a single battle for the first time, fighting can be almost generic, and the over simplified with only a selection of basic moves being available to use: punch, block, kick and projectile (fireball/ki), with the latter being a standard move which can be used in combination with others for more devastating attacks. Initially the control system seems to have been toned down much more than a traditional fighter for movement is limited to forward, back and stepping either way into the background. Whilst the lack of evading moves can seem a drawback, the game perhaps doesn't have a need due to the fast pace, although a more innovative movement system would have improved character performance. With the basic attack system, various combinations can be used with each character, in sequence with the forward and backing movement, although the blocking system poses a major downside to the fast pace combat. Custom to defensive manoeuvres, being able to block against attacks is possible with timing, although due to the attacks being excessive strings of punches or kicks, defending can create difficulty during battle and in certain situations be impossible to use. However, evading allows for a better system of defensive for swift back and side stepping can be done in conjunction with the block button, with most situations allowing for attacks to be successfully avoided.

At first the range of attacks each character has is limited to the basic 4 button combinations with a lack of fighter specifics, however players can unlock special skills throughout the game's main story mode, and also purchase them in a shop option with tournament prize money. On the battle screen is the regular life bar, which dominates over 3 levels and is broken down normally with various attacks, however there is a also a power/ki bar which determines which skill can be used. Each skill is character specific and divided into three distinct categories: special, physical and support

 

Among the leading story aspect to the game, the regular features in a title of this franchise apply, an interesting idea being a tournament option, which inevitably runs on a 'winner takes all' system, whereby after a series of four or five battles, players can obtain an amount of prize money to use within the in game shop. Purchasing items can improve specific character moves, performance and provide helping items to recover life and power. Along with this is a duel mode for single and verses battles to take place, where players can use found skills and combat in the usual fashion however not being a major feature to use, but for single match battles, it provides a quick and entertaining spurt of action to extend the game's lifespan. However, an effective addition to the title is a ability to assign specific attacks, combinations and helper items to individual characters