Dragon Ball Z: Budokai [GC]

Whether you love or hate Dragon Ball Z, there is no denying that it's a popular franchise. This martial arts focused anime has developed a large cult following, which makes it a prime videogame license since the legions of devoted DBZ fans are guaranteed to snatch up the latest title, whether good or bad.

This obsessive quality has led many a poor, DBZ fan to purchase bad games solely for the sake of controlling their favorite Super Saiyan. Fortunately, for fans, Atari's Budokai isn't another worthless licensed title -- although far from being the best fighter on the system. Finding its way to GameCube a year after its PS2 release, is Budokai a title DBZ fans can purchase in good conscience?

Feature:

• Take control of 23 Dragon Ball Z warriors
• Battle through the DBZ anime from the Saiyan Saga to the Cell Games
• 5 different fighting modes: story, duel, world tournament, practice, and
• Customize your fighters by unlocking and trading skills with friends
• Learn up to 60 combos per fighter
• Sharpen your skills against customized AI settings in training mode
• Battle at blazing speeds in the Burst Zone

Gameplay Fairly standard for today's fighters, Budokai features story, world tournament, versus, and practice modes. Practice is where most players should begin their Budokai adventure because it offers a surprisingly deep tutorial as well as enough AI options to gradually introduce you to your Saiyan powers. Once you've learned all you can about the combat system, you can test your skills in versus mode against a friend or AI controlled character. World tournament is similar to an arcade mode -- you fight in a number of matches, and if you make it the final round you're awarded Zenie (whether you win or lose) that can be used to purchase items in the Skill Edit mode.

Skill Edit lets you upgrade your character's abilities with a variety of Z-capsules. You can change your combos, gain self-healing abilities, more Ki Power, and defensive stats. All these can be earned in story mode or purchased with winnings, allowing you to build your own customized fighters. Skill Edit adds depth for advanced players that aren't likely to find it elsewhere in the game.

Story mode, the DBZ fan's delight, a hybrid of the show and a fighter. Cut scenes tell the story, which is interrupted only when it comes time for two Saiyans to rumble (which is often). You'll control the protagonist as he battles Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, and Cell. There will be multiple missions in each "episode," and when you've come to a break in the story -- you'll even see a preview of what's to come. It's the ultimate blending of licensed property and game. It's too bad that the developer Dimps put more time into the presentation than the fighting system, because Budokai would be Dragon Ball Z incarnate.

The fighting system is so limited that it severely detracts from the game's excellent presentation. While you're given your standard set of moves: block (which can be used to deflect Ki blasts), punch, kick, Ki blast, counter and throw, it really feels like that's the extent of your arsenal. Even your movements are limited -- since you can't duck or jump -- to forwards or back.