Game Review XXIII: Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi

As much as the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series is idolized as one of the best of the DBZ games, I'm somewhat disappointed by Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, a game that didn't quite meet the standard. As much as they put into it, there was nothing "Ultimate" about it to me. Now I'm going to do this review a little differently this time around: By getting to the core of the game, and the pros and cons of the game.

CORE: While I am in distaste about the game, it is visually impressive, as it was upgraded in character and environment from the Dragon Ball Raging Blast games. It still retains the fighting and overworld aspect of games past, features tournament play, and even features online playability complete with replays. The music score is different, and one of the original Dragon Ball Z themes, Cha-La Head Cha-La, can be used in game as a music score to fight with. It also set so each fight plays 3 different songs, with the other selected ones playing in certain situations. As opposed to the life bar in the majority of games, the health is represented by a blue Dragon Ball-like form, with the stars representing the player. There is also a hit point counter, but the same principle for damage works: if hit, it will decrease, and depending on how much damage you take, it will indicate that by changing color until the ball breaks, which is caused for when you're out of hit points. When that happens the match is over. As with Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2, the voices heard come from the Dragon Ball Z Kai series as well as the original series, save for those of Dragon Ball GT. You still fight on a wide area like the Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games.

PROS: For the first time, there is a DBZ game that allows you to create a character to use, complete with their own story. Reason that is possible is because Ultimate Tenkaichi took the Character Creation aspect from the Data Carddass game: Dragon Ball Heroes, and incorporate it into Hero Mode, where the player creates their fighter, customize the outfit, and play the plot given to them, engaging in training sessions with other DBZ characters, and find out just who is responsible for bringing chaos into the world. Their forms do not go beyond Super Saiyan (for what I understand),You can choose the size of the chatacter, featuring clothes that you can mix and match that are more or less similar to the garbs the regulars wear. Skin and voice can also be customized, as well as moves, which can be learned from various characters you train under, so you have options. After battle, their stats can be increased following each fight, so they can cause more damage. Plus, you can use these characters outside of Hero Mode as well, so you can take them online to show off and throw down. Famous scenes from battles with giant enemies were redone, with a few original events for the others.

CONS: I feel that the cons of this game are enough to make it unplayable for me, but let's get into why. First, the character roster was shortened from Raging Blast 2, and some characters lost their base forms, some omitted entirely, despite forms like Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta making it in. And not that it's a major deal, but for team battles, Super Gogeta and Vegito can't be used on the same side. Given that they are fused by the same people, I can understand this aspect. Those hoping for Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta and Broly should dash their hopes, because they're not in, with the only form of Broly in the game is his Legendary Super Saiyan form. And the base form of Teen Gohan also omitted, among others. Adult Gohan is also gone, but Ultimate Gohan is in the game, who is usually a stand-alone version in the Tenkaichi series anyway. Regardless, because of character and form reductions, there was a drop in characters in general, not drastic, but it did bug me upon looking.

The second area was the most frustrating to me: Gameplay, and I can go on a list as to how much damage was done here. First off, the battle had a Melee Range and a Blast Range, and depending which one you're in, can be a hand-to-hand battle, or a blast shootout, though it was like this prior to this game, but emphasized more here. The special attacks are beautiful, and the destructive impact is retained, though for the majority overly enhanced. One of my issues regarding this, and this even applies to the Ultimates, is the system of defending yourself, made into a quick events. From Budokai Tenkaichi onward, you could block, swat away, dash into (for rush supers) and do struggles for beam supers. In Ultimate Tenkaichi, the fight temporarily stops upon a player unleashing a move or combo. This is not what concerns me, but how one can respond to that. During gameplay, rush attacks can be executed, but it also follows a "who pressed what" kind of quick event called a Defensive Chance. As annoying as it is, this has been done before in the Dragon Ball Z Budokai series, starting from the second game. Putting like that, Defensive Chance is almost like the setting for the Potata Fusion, which you want to press a button, hoping that the opponent doesn't guess right. If your opponent guesses wrong, a pursuit chain happens and he's in a world of hurt. If it ends up being the same, the chain is ceased, and you're getting damaged for it. Beam Struggles are still in, but are limited to a button, and it's performed differently, but I'll get to that in a minute. Even with boss fights, it's one event after the next, but they have high health, and if done right, the events does heavy damage, which is vital to win. A good perk for giant boss battles, sure, but somewhat needless when fighting one on one. The Defensive Chance isn't limited to rush attacks. Supers can be responded to as well, but it is here that maintaining ki is vital. With that, depending on how much ki is charged, you can use one of the 3 options available:

• Guard: As per the name, you guard in the duration of the attack. While you are taking damage, you're not taking the full extent of it. While it's on the bottom, it's the first thing avaiable after a small charge.
• Evade: There's a button timing event that happens when you choose this option. If successful, you avoid taking any damage from the attack.
• Intercept: This is mainly how most beam struggles start, but this can be applied to counter rush supers as well. Inputting this option starts a beam struggle, or a physical clash with your opponents attack. During this, you must gain momentum by pressing the Triangle button (Y button for X360 owners) before the timer depletes. Whoever has more will win the struggle, and the opponent suffers damage as a result.

The Ultimates work differently too. Unlike the Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games, you can't use it as freely as normal. Ultimates in Raging Blast works under a condition: the opponent has to be in the red, unlocking the rest of the spirit gauge. This would make the Ultimate Move match enders. I'm unsure whether or not it can be defended, evaded, etc, as the player wears down the ki meter using the Strike Booster, and if attacked by such a thing, most of the time, they have no choice but to take it full on. This also happens if the other player is in Strike Booster mode, where the pursuits become unblockable. Not a game killer, but it's kind of much.

Lastly, as opposed to those on the Tenkaichi and Raging Blast roster, they have characters that are gifted in blast and physical attacks, tossing out characters like Videl and Hercule. Another aspect that didn't bug me too much, but variety couldn't hurt. Saibamen and Cell Jr. returns, however. And Janemba's final form as well, while his giant base form is an NPC boss in Story Mode.

Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, despite what players feel, failed to please with some critics, as well as myself. This game gets a 4 of 10. Don't get me wrong, effort was definitely put in, but it took a good amount out, in favor of some needless battle dynamics. Even so, it's decent game at best.