Dragonball Z Budokai (GameCube) Review

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' – the centrifugal force that holds the series together – allowing the beholder to grant any wish. Characters within the show have sought after various needs, and resorted to intense battles and a clash of forces. And so the battle begins.

To begin with the more positive aspect to a critically demanding title, the developing body behind the presentation have excelled, and in certain aspects of the visual appearance have brought a new level of depth to an aging franchise, perhaps transporting the series to the next generation in terms of the appearance and style used, graphically. Upon turning on the game, players are greeted with a rendered introduction sequence, which could have used existing cartoon footage from the series, but instead combines a selection of exceedingly high quality 3D renders, each performing trademark attacks, taunts and scenes from the show. Coupled with artwork from the show, users are presented with vivid and colourful menu items, along with an assortment of animations in-between sections. The atmosphere, however, seems to be slightly orientated to the younger user market, with a contrast between the classic versions on the SNES console of the last decade – perhaps to reflect on the highly commercialised Northern American feeling from the game. Collectively, the basic appearance of the game is simplistic, perhaps a little more so than the series, using an almost cell shaded approach in the design – breaking away from the renowned 2D artwork, capturing the characters what theoretically should be a more dynamic view, but due to the lack of texture and line style, perhaps can make fighters look awkward. Needless to say, the characters represent the source material in a distinct style set by game artists – the basics of each figure can be seen, with a sustained level of detail set within facial expressions, something which has been cleverly designed. As for the attention to detail on the main bodies, the hint of basic blocks being used and retained is evident for in comparison to the upper body, main characters tend to verge on the flatter side of three dimensions.

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 – something that perhaps hasn’t been explored within the game itself. Needless to say, the franchise revolves around the manga/anime concepts, so the style used is appropriate in game, but for the aesthetic qualities, the game lacks the minor details upon the characters themselves to accentuate them. In terms of the animations, however, a consistent sense of smooth action is present within the title, with each set of routine combos and special attacks seeming to work well in conjunction with one another, seeming to belong to the fighter on screen. Although the attacking phase works well in practice, the effects when opponents haven’t been developed to work slickly with attacks. There is a delay in returning to normal stance, and a general distinction between the structure of attack and defence that it be inclined to appear awkward in some instances. The backgrounds players fight within have been cleverly designed to disguise the area in which fighters are confined within in one sense, but reveal a large area in which to combat in the other. As for the graphical qualities, there is a distinct style and approach that remains throughout the available selection – scenes and concepts from the series work well with the characters, and don’t tend to draw attention away from the action in the foreground. Needless to say, a majority of arenas although captured perfectly, can appear bland and again, lifeless, but the overall collection shows a change in style to suit different battle situations, notably effective during the main story mode.

Overall, the graphical aspect of the title receives a commendation for presenting the title in a slightly modernised way trying not to detract too far from the classic art style used in Japanese art and the franchise itself. The qualities of rendered sequences, short movie clips, are of a very rich and structured design that helps communicate the story to the player in a stylish yet subtle approach, however plays a more dominating role in the game than the gameplay.

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 – each helping fighters perform different moves during battle and a maximum of ten can be attached to individual combatants with unique and hidden skills unlocked after specific events in the story and tournament. Each special is performed by a set amount of combinations, most of which follow through to other characters that share abilities however occasionally become difficult to do for a majority are four or more presses, and during intense battles are complicated to perform. Along with battle along the surface, direct combat in the air can take place in a similar style to past Japan-only games in the franchise, however the system has been restricted to only being able to fly toward opponents, instead of freely around the screen. In one sense the battle runs smoother with combat being controlled in such a way, however the sense of freedom in battle from the franchise is to be desired.

The game has a selection of modes and options to appeal to followers of the series, with a subtle reference to the seven “Dragoballs” from the series making up the seven available menu choices. The most prominent aspect to the title is the story mode, which as previously noted, follows the adventure of Son Gokou and his allies throughout three sagas with several chapters denoting key battles and events. In between each fight is an exceedingly developed series of short clips that gradually reveal the main concepts and ideas behind the show, as well as introducing the reason for each chapter. After completing each, a new skill or character can be unlocked, with various additional secrets and levels becoming available as the tale progresses. Needless to say, the game has a continuous flow to it, with minuscule loading between chapters and unlimited retries if needed. The sequences between battles help have continuality throughout, although initially seem to appeal more so to fans and those who have seen episodes of the show, however upon completion, a selection of additional levels fill in gaps with the less significant, but important, battles. Although the story mode does follow the series to some extent, better-detailed descriptions of characters and events would have been an addition for those who haven’t encountered the show before.

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 – essentially opening up various possibilities to change the skill level of favoured combatants. Skill capsules can be traded, exchanged and viewed in the mode providing additional options to be used with other owners of the title. To finish is a relatively basic practice mode with regular options to test out found moves and different skills but lacks depth in execution to be appreciated but worthy of a few training sessions.

Sound is a part of the game, which should inevitably capture the general feeling of a battle, the action on screen and set the mood and pace. The samples within Budokai vary from a rather comical fashion in the menu sequences, to a tense and riveting rock riffs to prelude a major battle – working to a similar style in the American version of the show, however also contain classic melodies from the original show of two decades past. Occasionally, the music within fights can be off putting for they don’t match the environment fighters are housed within however in other places helps to recreate the feeling from the franchise into game form. In terms of the effects used, the typical grunts and masculine taunts are present, as well as voice samples from the Japanese vocalists, accurately capturing the original dialogue from characters, although certain phrases have been toned down for a younger audience. The vocals don’t detract away from Budokai’s performance, although a better variety of samples would have reduced the use of repetitive effects.

For a game in the fighting genre, the lifespan or length is integral to allow for the action to last over a period of time and with the available modes, the overall game’s length is mediocre at best, although the experience whilst it lasts is interesting, capturing traditional Japanese culture with western music and effects. The story aspect to the game is short but entertaining however lacks any replay value after the initial and extra modes have been completed. The only addition is to build up a selection of characters by obtaining prize money to purchase extra skills and combinations to assign. It seems that the primary focus by the developer was to emphasise on the story and skills aspect to the game, but the single battles would have added additional short bursts in which to play the game, however can be too repetitive to be enjoyed over a period of time.