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In my years growing up, Dragon Ball Z has always been on TV. Always. As in, every single day of my living life, Dragon Ball Z has been playing somewhere, heck, anywhere on a screen. And when I finally stopped noticing, students everywhere swarmed me with countless DBZ manga, asking me if I’ve ever heard of the series. Sadly yes, because even though I was a huge fan of Dragon Ball Z, there was no denying that it's become very played out.
It also translates very well into its own series of games. Some years and 62 titles later, Dragon Ball Z is still kicking strong with the newest DBZ game for the Wii, Budokai Tenkaichi 2. The first Tenkaichi took the original Budokai system of the first three games, swerving the cameras around to made the maps far more expansive.
Tenkaichi 2 is the most solid DBZ experience I’ve had in a long while.
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Playing any one of the previous Budokai games already moves you up to an intermediate player, considering how characters charge their Ki meters, transform, teleport and air dance the same way they did in the past four games. Though now with the added controls, there’s more than just hectic button mashing in place: now you get to sway your arms like every other Wii game to execute some more complicated attacks. Since it’s on the Wii, button mashing is restricted to pretty much the A button, with the B, C and Z buttons used for secondary presses for much larger specials. Though if looking like a buffoon doesn’t take your fancy, there is an option to use the Wii’s Classic Controller in place of the Wii and Nunchuk. Not the kind of addition you would expect, though it is nice to be offered the choice if either becomes unmanageable.
Adventure Mode offers a fair chunk of goodness for DBZ newbies and fanatics alike, since it runs players through the entirety of the DBZ and GT universe, averting you from watching some 300+ episodes prior to playing. Visiting some of the shonens best moments is a real treat, as well as mish-mashing some characters to battle each other in fictitious situations that have no part in the actual manga. Not necessary the least, though it is a thoughtful implementation, keeping things fresh and interesting for DBZ connoisseurs looking for more than just a retelling of the show. Obvious Training and Dueling modes were added to flesh out the fun and replaybility for some single or multiplayer action.
Though Tenkaichi 2 does cover a large expanse of the anime, it sure does feel thin with the lack of cut-scenes. Some of the best scenes in the shonen aren’t displayed with actual cut-scenes, but stale text describing the scene itself. It’s a huge gripe, since surely new and old DBZ fans alike would have loved to watch the after events of Gohan vs. Cell or Goku and Frieza. Thankfully, this is compensated through incredibly smooth and rich graphics. Locations are wide and vast, offering a huge field to fly around and teleport with your foe. Character models are also gorgeous, with nice and shiny cel-shaded appeal, and all the expected flash and flare a Budokai game should carry.
Of the 60-odd Dragon Ball games I’ve played in my lifetime, Tenkaichi 2 is the most solid DBZ experience I’ve had in a long while. It’s the kind of game you play in fanboy mode, but usually ignore the actual game itself. Thankfully, this is one of the few actual good DBZ games available, and a strong contender for one of the Wii’s best games out right now. Storyline is kind of dry due to text, but if you can outlook that, Tenkaichi 2 is a noble fighter for the Wii and Goku fans alike. It’s this or mimicking Kamehamehas in front of the TV show again, and I’ve been down that long, shameful and embarrassing road before. Choose wisely.
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