Dragon Ball Z: Sagas [GC]

Although the Dragon Ball Z series has made its mark as a fighting franchise, the latest game to feature the Super Sayian combatants is anything but. Atari and developer Avalanche have changed the direction of the series and are producing the first ever Dragon Ball Z action-adventure game. Set during the first half of the Dragon Ball Z anime, the game allows players to explore familiar surroundings as well as encounter worlds only briefly mentioned on the TV show.

For those unfamiliar with the Dragon Ball legacy, the game features an all-new, original video introduction that summarizes the events of the series. There are three different eras of Dragon Ball -- the original, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. Hardcore fans will appreciate that this original animation was created by the same production team responsible for the series itself.

While the overall game is linear, you are given the opportunity to explore every level in detail. According to producer Dan DeOreo, one of the main goals was to give players a Dragon Ball Z "sandbox" to play in. As a result, the levels are loaded with destructible items, which often contain hidden items and power-ups. Needless to say, it's a great idea to spend plenty of time blowing stuff up. The bigger the carnage, the better the chance you'll come across some hidden goodie.

"A lot of the levels are set up where you have to blow up stuff to advance," said DeOreo. "Each environment has 30 or 40 destructibles in it."

Spread across 19 different levels, Dragon Ball Z: Sagas will have you playing as five different characters: Goku, Ghoan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Trunks. Each of the five features their own unique attacks, but you can't choose who to play as - that's determined by the story, which begins during the Saiyan Saga and continues through the Cell Games.

Approximately 70 percent of the game centers on the open-ended adventure mode, while the remaining 30 percent involves boss fights. Expect to run across the likes of Frieza, Cell, Nappa, Captain Ginyu, and Raditz. The boss fights occur in large, open arenas with plenty of room for maneuvering and a full-on beat-down that would make a WWE match look tame. In addition to the main bosses, each level also features a mini-boss for your pugilistic pleasures.

In between levels, players will be treated to an animation sequence from the series to advance the storyline. It's a nice touch, but nothing fans haven't seen before; unlike the opening animation, these are re-edits of material from the show. However, some of level locations are brand new. Done with the blessing of the show's creators, the game explores parts of the Dragon Ball Z universe that have never been seen before.

At the beginning of your adventure, Goku and friends will be relatively underpowered, so it is up to you to boost their abilities by collecting Z coins. The coins can be found hidden throughout each level and spent at the Z store to purchase upgrades, special moves, and new combos. Each level has a set number of coins and the only way to find them is to search diligently. If you exit a level without collecting a coin, then it's lost forever... so it pays to take your time and not rush things.

"About halfway through the game -- which ties right into the story -- the Super-Sayian ability is unlocked," said DeOreo. "By the end of the game an average user will be able to unlock everything."

Upgrading your character may bring to mind notions of an RPG-esque game, but Sagas is definitely heavily focused on action (with some platform game roots). The developers have hidden items in some pretty out of the way places, forcing players to jump, hop, and fly to various ledges within each level.

Once the game has been completed, you'll be rewarded with access to the Pendulum Room, which unlocks five bonus characters as well as the ability to play any character on any level.

As the longest running anime series in Japan, Dragon Ball is doing something very right indeed. Atari is trying to duplicate that success in the video game realm and from what we've seen so far, it's on the right track. We'll have more details when Goku stops by for another visit.