Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu

Super Saiya Densetsu for the Super Famicom is actually a remake of two Famicom games - Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan and Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza, combined into one title with the filler elements from the anime removed. This is also a bit of an odd one for me, as while I played those games back in the early days of emulation quite a bit, I never really considered reviewing them on here for whatever reason.  Super Saiya Densetsu is a considerably better experience, though - while the core gameplay is largely unchanged, the animations for attacks are much shorter (they ran upwards of 15 seconds in the original game) and visually it's a much more appealing game, making good use of the Super Famicom's sharper animation and mode 7 effects to capture the dynamic feel of the anime series.  The combat system is based around cards; you can carry up to five at a time, and each has an attack and a defense rating numbered 1-7 or "Z" (representing 10).  Each card also has a symbol - if you match it to a particular Z fighter's fighting style, they'll attack all enemies in the current battle, or do a charge attack against a single enemy for some extra damage.  Choosing a card with the Ki symbol allows that character to do one of their flashy energy attacks from the show (at the cost of some Ki points), while numerous character cards serve as expendable items and grant various advantages.  Restoring varying amounts of HP or Ki, boosting a card's attack or defense (or both) to Z, changing the symbol on said card, or even tossing out your entire hand for a new one.  The game is also faithful to the show, kind of to a fault - Goku is far and away your most powerful character for about 90% of the game, with the rest of the playable characters usually being average at best and useless at worst unless you spend an enormous amount of time grinding random battles to power them up.  Training centers can also boost a character's maximum Ki, though you only get so many "training points" to spend at any given location.  Progression is also pretty linear - while you do get a bit of a chance to explore and find items, train up and places to rest and recuperate, the only real goal for any given area is to grind out some levels, go to the end and fight the boss.  If you're a big fan of Dragon Ball it's probably a game you'll enjoy in spite of its shortcomings (add a half-star to the rating in that case), otherwise you can probably skip it.

Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1992
Platform: Super Famicom

Dragonball Z: Kakarot

Billed as an action-RPG for Dragonball fans, and it certainly does its best to deliver on that, though some of these elements were overstated in marketing.  But is this still a game worth a look for genre fans, or is this one just for the die-hard fans of the manga/anime franchise?

There have been many Dragonball games over the years owing to the franchise's explosive popularity in the '80s and '90s, and due to its subsequent international releases and a recent revival of the series in Dragonball Super, it remains one of the most successful anime franchises of all time even today.  The most recent of these, and one that saw a fair bit of hype before its release, was Cyberconnect2's Dragonball Z: Kakarot.  Billed as an open-world RPG, and utilizing their flair for over-the-top action and animations as seen in games like Asura's Wrath, it certainly generated quite a bit of buzz.

The gameplay is not quite as open-ended as that description would suggest, but they did make efforts to have it feel like such a game in many respects.  The story is primarily based on the second series, Dragonball Z, though some moments from the original are viewable as collectible items strewn throughout the world (primarily in key story locations).  While not one large contiguous game world, the maps you're taken to are quite expansive and have plenty of things to do in them, and there is a fairly extensive crafting system, allowing you to hunt and fish in order to collect components to create meals for temporary stat boosts.  One also curiously has the ability to find spare parts and assemble a hovercar  - not particularly useful as transportation seeing as you can fly at rather absurd speeds, but they can be used in a racing minigame at least.

The game is also mostly linear from a storytelling point, though you're given some opportunity to free-roam between missions and complete side-quests - some in the form of side-stories, but most in the form of roaming the map to find collectibles.  Orbs, crafting items and destroyable Red Ribbon towers that grant some bonus items can also be discovered.  One can also visit training grounds to unlock new moves once you're powerful enough to overcome the battles within them, though these tend to only become available between significant moments in the story.  It is even possible to grind a level or two by fighting random enemy spawns, though these tend to be relatively inefficient for leveling; generally you're better off just buying a few recovery items and then fighting story battles, as characters tend to gain several levels from those instead of having to fight a couple dozen random encounters on the overworld.  Moreso as character skill growth is quite stifled by this - the overwhelming majority of skills aren't unlocked (or upgradable) until you hit certain story beats, so there's little point to grinding.  Once nice touch, though, is that dashing into an enemy significantly weaker than the player will cause an instant defeat, awarding the player the experience without a fight (a similar mechanic was employed in Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance).

A relatively creative element of the game is the Community Boards, which are the main incentive to complete the various sidequests one encounters in the game.  By doing so one will frequently earn character tokens, which can then be placed on one of several "Community Boards" to unlock bonuses - generally a small boost to all characters' stats, slightly lower prices in shops, extra bonuses from cooking meals and healing items, and so forth.  Each token has different starting and maximum stats (boostable by using items), and when certain combinations are placed in linked slots on the same board, one can earn a substantial number of bonus points.  Befitting the universe of Dragonball, there are quite a large number of these (over 100 at a quick estimate), and maxing them all out will take quite a bit of doing, so it's a large and game-spanning sidequest.

But of course, no Dragonball game would be complete without over-the-top, high-flying combat, and Dragonball certainly delivers on that front.  The action takes place in real-time, though if you press a button to bring up the special attack or assist combo menu, it goes into slow motion to give you time to read and select what you want.  One can block and dodge attacks, as well as spend a significant amount of their energy meter to perform a quick counter - breaking away from a blocking state to zip behind the enemy and land a heavy blow on them.  Firing energy attacks around constantly isn't a good idea as enemies will frequently dodge them - instead they're best used as combo finishers, or when you whittle down an enemy's stun bar through persistent melee attacks.  While you only control one character at a time, others may help you out in a fight, and you can team up with them once their gauge fills to do a combo animation or multi-pronged energy attack for significant damage.  While most of the weaker foes can simply be mashed through, story battles generally require a bit more thought - oftentimes they'll unleash lengthy attack animations that you'll simply have to avoid and wait out, but more often, they can go into an unstunnable state and, if you keep attacking, they'll generally knock you back, cause a stun and then do a big attack for hefty damage.  Basically, knowing when to attack, attack at range, and retreat are all key factors.

So yes, combat certainly matches the feel of the show overall, and is quite a bit more strategic than I expected it to be.  Terrain even gets deformed while you fight, with some parts (mostly mountains and trees) getting smashed to rubble as characters and attacks collide with them, so that's a nice touch.  However, I think some key parts of this could have been better implemented.  One can enter one of several powered-up states (Kaioken, Super Saiyan, etc) as they become available in the story, though these often tend to be more trouble than they're worth, as they rapidly drain your HP and energy meters for only a marginal boost in damage output.  As they also don't seem to significantly affect enemies' stun meters or hamper their ability to launch into their lengthy attacking animation states, I found it was more practical to just stay in base form and use standard combos and the occasional beam attack as a finisher.  Many beam attacks also feel underpowered for a good portion of the game, costing large amounts of energy but doing relatively little damage; I still used them as finishers, but it's a little strange to see Frieza shrug off so many Kamehamehas and Spirit Bombs, for example.

But regardless, I had a fair bit of fun with Dragonball Z: Kakarot.  While I wouldn't deem it an amazing game, it's one that has quite a bit to offer for die-hard series fans, paying homage to its story and huge universe of characters on a backdrop of humor and numerous optional objectives to complete, as well as containing plenty of the over-the-top action that made the franchise famous.  If you're a fan of the series it's one you'll probably want to check out, but if not, well, it's one you can safely skip.

Developer: Cyberconnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform: Playstation 4, XBox One, PC
Released: 2020
Recommended Version: All versions seems to be relatively identical.

Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku (Trilogy)

I'm trying something a bit different for this week's entry.  Since all three games in the Legacy of Goku trilogy play similarly and are based on the continuing storyline of the same franchise, I'll be covering all of them with one review.  So, is this RPG adaptation of a beloved anime franchise worth a look, or is the Legacy of Goku one that should just be forgotten?

 I'm sure the Dragon Ball franchise is one that needs no introduction.  If you have even a passing interest in anime you've probably at least seen it in action and have an idea of what it's all about; over-the-top combat and fantastic magical elements mesh in a franchise of pure imagination.  Naturally, that and its evergreen popularity have led to countless video game adaptations over the years spanning all number of genres; from fighting games to platformers to card-based RPGs to beat-em-ups, Dragon Ball is as much a presence in the world of gaming as it is in the world of anime and manga.

I've personally never been a huge fan of the series, but I did watch quite a bit of it back in the early 2000s on Cartoon Network's Toonami block and am fairly familiar with the storyline thereof.  However, being a fan of RPGs and hearing that Dragon Ball Z's storyline got a trilogy of such adaptations on the Game Boy Advance, I was naturally curious to see how they turned out.

Well, in the first game's case, I can say it definitely did not turn out very well.  Sure, the basic storyline of the series is laid out early on, but you're quickly waylaid by a long trek through the woods where even crabs and wolves can deplete Goku's health and kill him in a matter of seconds.  Not aiding this fact is the extremely awkward hit detection on Goku's punches, requiring you to stand slightly below the enemy you intend to hit so that his fist lines up with the enemy's sprite, and even then they're almost certain to hit you before his arm is fully extended.  Stranger still, Goku's signature special attack (the Kamehameha) is virtually useless, with even a fully-charged strike not being able to put down anything but the weakest enemies.  Goku has an extremely limited flight mechanic to cross over some obstacles, with emphasis on "extreme" - you get barely a second of flight at the start of the game and, until you pick up an icon, you can't fly any further.  Only by leveling up can you get more flight time, and even then, it's really not very much.

Combat in the game - the central focus of Dragon Ball Z - is a frustrating chore, and without that the whole experience quickly falls apart.  Moreso when there are long breaks between story beats that force the player to complete a number of menial, non-optional sub-quests (retrieving eggs, building bridges out of rocks, rescuing cats, and so forth).  Completing these does reward the player with experience points to let them gain a few levels, at least, but even then I still had to take my chances quite a bit with enemies.  This, plus the extremely limited amount of healing items you're provided, makes it seem as if he only way to progress is to utilize an exploit - when one saves the game and reloads, they will be put back at the start of the current screen, with full health and any experience they'd gained.  I ended up doing that for nearly an hour until I could defeat the wolves in one hit before I had any luck making progress through the story, then repeating the process each time I made it to a new area with a different set of enemies.  Boss fights are equally arduous, mostly just consisting of throwing a punch or two, running away, and burning through healing items to outlast them rather than employing any actual gaming skills.  Basically, Legacy of Goku is a slog and completely squanders the best elements of the series it's based on.

So with all of that in mind, I didn't really bother finishing the first game.  I can say, however, that Legacy of Goku 2 is a vast improvement over its predecessor in every way.  This is even evident right away with the introductory cinematic, which is much more clean and less compressed-looking than the first game's intro.  Even the first few minutes of gameplay show vast improvement, with your character's attacks having more range (and a bit of a wide arc to them a la Link's sword in the Zelda games), making hitting enemies much less of a problem.  Enemies do significantly less damage per hit and defeating them (as well as breaking open rocks) frequently drop power-ups to restore a bit of health, reducing one's reliance on save-scumming and limited inventory items.  Ki blasts are now much more useful, though to compensate the ki bar does not regenerate over time like the first game's, requiring the player to collect power-ups from enemies and rocks to refill it. And of course, many of the characters now have the ability to turn into a Super Saiyan, boosting their stats dramatically but causing their ki bar to rapidly deplete (and reverting once it's completely emptied).

The game does still require a fair amount of grinding, though because of the above factors, it's now far less of a chore to carry out.  Less so as enemies generally give far more experience points and there is even an experience meter on the HUD that shows how close your character is to leveling up, ensuring that you don't have to constantly check the pause menu for that information.  The game even provides a plausible, in-universe explanation for why you have to fight mundane animals in some areas, which I thought was a very nice touch.

The game does have a distinctly more "RPG-like" feel in some of its elements too, with the most prominent one being that you can actually see your character's stat loadout on the pause screen, visibly gain more stats with levels, and can find items throughout the world to boost stats by a point or two.  While the storyline is still a linear one, the player is afforded a bit of free-roaming exploration via a Mode-7 world map reminiscent of 16-bit RPGs like Final Fantasy 6.  Finally, instead of being able to save at any time via the menu, there are now pre-determined save points throughout the world, requiring the player to be a bit more cautious when in an unfamiliar area.

Despite the title of the game, Goku is not actually playable for a good chunk of it, instead focusing primarily on the other protagonists of the series.  However, you do unlock numerous playable characters as you progress through the story, each with subtle differences in their attacks, stats and specials.  There is even a bit of a Metroid-esque element worked in in the form of various gates one finds, with each requiring a specific character to be at a specific level or higher to open them, which encourages exploration and experimentation with all of the characters one has at their disposal.

Legacy of Goku's third entry, Buu's Fury, confusingly dropped the subtitle but retains all of the hallmarks of the first two games.  However, even more RPG elements are now fit into the formula.  This is most evident in the fact that one can now find "armor", fitting into head, hands, feet and accessory slots.  Generally these are straightforward stat boosts, though others may have secondary effects (like the Weighted Clothing, which lowers your stats but causes you to gain more experience from defeated enemies).  Likewise, items play a more prominent role in the gameplay too, with enemies frequently dropping food items one can pick up and use later to restore health.  Money is finally incorporated into the gameplay as well, allowing the player to purchase food and equipment at shops for later use, though I rarely had to use this seeing as drops from enemies and containers are pretty generous.

Buu's Fury also has two two more nice touches that the previous games lacked.  One is now afforded a degree of character customization; when a level is gained, the player is given three points to distribute among that character's stats however they wish, and if you're undecided, you can stockpile them and allocate them later.  One can also manually recharge their character's ki meter with a special command, though as their character is left stationary and unable to fight back while doing so, it's a bit impractical to do mid-fight.  Still, it's a nice nod to the series.

In short, the first Legacy of Goku game is a lackluster effort, using a license to try and pass off a shallow and clunky game.  However, its developers clearly had passion for the franchise within them, which showed through much more in the sequels; much more polished, longer games that provided a fair challenge and quite a lot of content in between the familiar story beats.  If you're a fan of the series and want a couple of basic, but enjoyable action-RPG titles, definitely check out Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury.

Developer: Webfoot Technologies
Publisher: Infogrames, Atari, Banpresto
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Released: 2002, 2003, 2004
Recommended Version: N/A