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The beat ’em up has been around for nearly as long as gaming. Its genre is responsible for some of the most memorable titles in videogame history. Street Fighter 2, SNK and Soul Calibur are prime examples of games that helped to define a culture. Another genre that also serves the videogame world – perhaps not as well, some might say – is the licensed videogame. Quality here is very mixed, but a game as good as King Kong is the exception, not the rule. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi is the latest beat ’em up in a whole series of games based on the popular Japanese cartoon of the same name.
When you load the game for the first time you’re greeted by a pleasant and colourful interactive menu screen. Highlighting a certain game option will make one of the title’s many characters appear and give you an explanation of what that game type involves. This is a great touch, making good use of the license and being functional at the same time. There are a good number of game types available, including the rudimentary Story mode, Multiplayer, Practice and Tutorial.
The Story mode is a selection of the most epic battles from the Dragon Ball TV series in chorological order. This allows fans to play right through its impressive history. In typical beat ’em up fashion, players are required to beat certain opponents before they can unlock more advanced stages and face tougher enemies.
The actual fighting is essentially a complicated game of rock, paper or scissors. All of the characters are capable of performing the same basic attacks and dodges, which means that the key to victory is not pulling off a better combo, but to know exactly what you can do to counter your opponent. What makes all the fighters individual are their special powers. Each special power provokes a different reaction and so tactics need to be changed depending on who you’re playing as. People who enjoy the more conventional mechanics of fighting games may want to give this title a miss. It’s not possible to win if you rely solely on button bashing. In short, this is no game for E Honda fans.
For a game based on a popular kids’ show the advanced Story mode battles are very fast and intense, and concentration and quick reactions are necessary to see you through to the end. Every character is capable of flight, so it’s possible to fight in the air as well as on the ground. If you send your opponent hurtling into the air, you can follow him, allowing you to take advantage of the environment in ways most fighting games can only dream of.
Unfortunately the game is hurt by a few major problems. The controls are very difficult to get to grips with and it takes a very long time before you fully grasp how to play the game. Skipping the tutorial may be something you can get away with in most games, but doing so here will result in a rather annoying experience. Everything requires a variety of different button combinations and it can get very frustrating when even moving your character around causes you problems. Other instances will have novice players frantically bashing on the controller, desperate to pull off the right action, while being man-handled by an overly aggressive AI opponent.
Dragon Ball Z: BT is easily the best looking game in the series. A host of fully 3-D characters and environments help to bring the game to life and all of the levels that feature in the title also appear in the television series. The levels themselves are satisfyingly destructible, with players able to rip trees from the ground, smash through hills and generally interact with the environment more so than in any previous Dragon Ball Z game. The 3-D character models are also very good and look remarkably similar to their TV counterparts. The music is energetic and familiar, with many tracks from the TV show included in the soundtrack. Some original tunes would have been nice, but fans are unlikely to be disappointed.
All in all, Dragon Ball Z: BT is a game for fans of the series. People who have developed attachments to their favourite characters are much more likely to get a worthwhile experience than someone who knows nothing about the TV show. The learning curve is pretty steep and will result in many players feeling rather lost. If you have the patience and willpower to spend time getting to grips with all the complicated features, then you’ll find an enjoyable and rewarding game that will last a good while, or at least until the next one comes out.
