GAME REVIEW: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for Nintendo Wii

By Lex Eskobar “The Game Bud”

Dragon Ball Z is one of those things that you know about just because it is as old as time…kind of like Europe. You may not have ever experienced it but you know it’s there. DBZ is a Japanese television series that aired in 1989 as a sequel to another series called Dragon Ball (I know, clever). It has since spawned well over 20 video game releases across most of the major consoles.

While not always a huge fan of anime, I must admit that when I was younger I was very much interested in the adventures of Gokou and his friends as they battled the universe’s strongest fighters. I found it to be very entertaining to watch while baked out of my mind in the late 90s. I am not into the cartoon anymore but I definitely still check out the games when they come out, and Atari has released a DBZ game for the major consoles at least once a year for quite some time now.

DBZ: BT3 is the sequel to last year’s Budokai release. If you have never played the Budokai series before I’ll fill you in on what makes it different. Unlike usual fighting games that take place in relatively small arenas, the Budokai series, for the most part, has its battles take place on a much larger playing field. Placing the camera behind the players back, you are free to fight in large open world environments that are fully 3D and destructible. It’s pretty sweet to be able to have such big, explosive battles that almost perfectly recreate those on the show.

The controls in this game are pretty good and relatively easy to get a hold of but you have to commit to some serious training to really become a master in DBZ: BT3. The Wii allows for multiple options when choosing the control scheme that is right for you. You can choose between the classic controller, the wavebird or the Wiimote and Nunchuck. I go with the latter choice because I think it is the most fun and possibly the easiest to use. Doing the special moves with this control scheme involves actual movements that mimic those of the series and can add a lot of excitement to those really heated battles.

The sound on DBZ: BT3 is really good for a Wii title and, although the music isn’t the most incredible ever, it is true to the series and almost all of it was either in the original Japanese show or sounds like it should have been. The voice acting is also authentic. Atari got both the US and the Japanese cast to do voice work for this game. So, whether you are more comfortable hearing English or Japanese, you will be taken care of.

The cell shaded graphics are superior to any other DBZ game ever released and, personally, I feel that they have gotten to the point where the game looks better than the show ever did. Maybe they should make a new DBZ show with this style of animation?

Even though this game is really for the die-hard DBZ fans out there, if you are a fan of fighting games you should pick this one up. It’s immersive and intense – not to mention addicting. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend some stoner time than throwing your friend through a mountain. I’m giving Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 4 out of 5 pot leaves.