The name’s Dragonball and Dragonball Z are easily two of the most recognizable T.V. /video game franchises on the market. Bandai games partnered with Namco to create the first installment of dbz games in 2003 titled Budokai, which became an instant best seller. Dragon Ball was created by Akira Toriyama in 1988 and since has become a cult phenomenon known in anime circles all over the world. In the first of the extraordinary games, the storyline follows the main character Goku from the Saiyan saga through the Freiza saga.
Owning to the overwhelming popularity of Bandai’s DBZ Budokai games, they released the sequel, Budokai 2, in 2004. Now offering a cast of previously unavailable characters, the new story mode will take you all the way from the Sayian to the Android Saga with a new format and a battle system similar to a game board. Your character will fight different opponents depending on the path you choose for him.
The third installment in the DBZ series is Budokai 3, this game was innovative and much different from previous DBZ games. The third game to come from the Bandai think-tank covers a wide variety of various sagas from the Saiyan storyline through the Majin buu saga. This production was the first to allow your character to fly to different cities and collect dragonball’s using the Dragonball Energy-Locator, or DBE, confusingly. It was also the first time we were able to see Vegito and Gogeta, the product of Goku and Vegeta, using the new fusion technique in order to turn super-saiyan 5.
The fourth and arguably most popular DBZ game is DBZ Tenkaichi. For this concept designers started from the ground up using the same characters we know and love but making the battle system three dimensional and adding more cut scenes from the popular T.V. series as well as tons of new content and special moves. With the growth of technology, the fourth in the series has the most to offer modern day game player.
Overall, the DBZ games have been a tremendous success for the Bandai Corporation. From Budokai 1 and the introduction of the Saiyan saga through the Android saga in Budokai 2, the stages of the games keep the player involved. The third game progresses similar to first two with the addition of the Majin Buu saga, in Budokai Tenkaichi Goku’s world becomes panoramic offering the gamer a three dimensional landscape in which to maneuver through.
