Dragon Ball Z Tenkaichi 3
As a lover of all things anime and gamer I must admit that I have grown weary of most video game adaptations. Quite frankly there are just too many anime-related fighting titles on the market and the field is saturated with poorly developed or pointless releases. Thankfully in Dragon Ball Z's case the Budokai Tenkaichi (BT) franchise came along a couple of years ago and changed that. The series sought to provide a riveting experience, smart fighting system, and faithful representation of Toriyama's classic. After three installments in a short amount of time though, has the series lost some of its impact?
Thankfully, it really hasn't.
Gameplay
Let's get one thing straight before we really dig into BT3; the game is basically the same as the previous one. There hasn't been a lot of innovation, the gameplay hasn't been touched during the interim, and most of the modes are easily identifiable. Rather than rebuild the franchise from the ground up the developers took to the approach of adding things to what was already existing and tweaking things in a minor fashion. The result is a game that may feel stale to some but stands out amidst the crowd of anime fighters as the best one on the market.
As far as single player is concerned, this release features "Dragon History" which takes you through a variety of events from different points in the Dragon Ball saga. Unlike the previous title which basically threw everything but the kitchen sink your way, BT3 is significantly more selective about what it has you experience. I suppose the developers figured that by now, if you're coming to this game then you already know Dragon Ball like the back of your hand. You don't need a larger than life story presentation and there isn't going to be much in the way of new content thanks to the fact that the series has been over with for the better part of a decade. In other words if you're looking at this game then know what Dragon Ball is all about.
In addition to the single player "Dragon History" is a survival mode, training space, and spot to customize a character to your heart's content. Most of these are fairly standard to the fighting genre these days and to be quite honest they feel like tacked on features for BT3. They proved to be interesting in the previous installments though and I'm sure plenty of fans look for bragging rights when it comes to how far they got in the survival mode; I'm just not one of them.
Also a staple of the genre is the Duel (VS) mode. If you need an explanation as far as what that is then go look up a definition for fighting game. With the PlayStation 2 version you need to have a buddy over if you want to experience head to head combat but if you pick up the Wii version then you'll be able to make use of the online functionality. The trade made for the PS2 edition is the ability to fuse this title with the prior ones and unlock some Ultimate Battle modes.
All game modes aside, any fighting game lives and dies by its combat system. If you have played the original BT or even the sequel then you already know that the build for BT3 is easy to get into and highly addicting. Its simplistic presentation allows for a plethora of combos, high-flying feats of Super-Saiyan skills, and wide open arenas to pound your opponent in. The scope of the gameplay is large and there are plenty of moves to learn. The battles also move at a brisk pace and despite the fact that they boil down to extensive button mashing there is some strategy required. Granted that strategy is beat up enemy and win, but hey, whatever works.
BT3 also provides a huge roster of characters to play as which is definitely a nice touch. In total there are over 150 characters that you can unlock though for the most part they are merely alternate versions of existing models. For instance there are more Goku characters than you can shake a stick at, so don't be surprised if they all mostly tend to feel the same. Folks from all across the Dragon Ball franchise jump into this fight and it certainly gave credibility to this game as an official license. It is Dragon Ball and there is no denying it.
In the end Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 proved that the series was still a lot of fun. Yeah it may not be as in depth as Street Fighter or Soul Calibur but it doesn't have to be. This game is only judged among its anime fighting peers and graded as such it is arguably the best title available. The fighting is fast and furious, the atmosphere is undeniably Dragon Ball, and the modes do take a fair amount of time to go through. A lack of online play for this version was kind of a bummer but hopefully we'll see the title become available for the PS3 and 360 before too long.
Graphics
A lot can change in the span of a year. In my review of BT2 I stated that I wasn't a fan of the show. Since then I have immersed myself in FUNimation's uncut Dragon Ball Z releases, have gone out of my way to check out some movies, and even dabbled a bit in Dragon Ball GT. I feel comfortable with myself among the DBZ crowd and can honestly say that despite the show's flaws it's greatly entertaining. I'd also like to state for the record that BT3 looks amazing!
This game features accurate representations of the characters and I dare say that some of the designs coupled with animation looks better than anything the show could have done. Cel-shading technology has come a long way and this is arguably about as good as it can get on the PlayStation 2. That being said there are some moments where the visuals don't quite hold up the standard and some chunky bits make their way in here and there. These moments were few and far between and in the end they didn't mar the game too much. Compared to other anime releases only the Naruto outing for the Xbox 360 looks better.
Sound
While I have become a fan of the show I'm still not too keen on the English voice cast. The overacting is just obnoxious and cheapens the series a bit in my opinion. That being said this game does feature a decent audio presentation with mostly fine dubbing and some great music. The inclusion of in-battle dialogue was a nice touch for this installment as it helps the BT series match the show a little more. Overall things sound very nice but the audio won't exactly blow you away when you get right down to it.
Conclusion
What Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 lacks in innovation it makes up for with quality. This is undoubtedly the best anime fighter available and subtle tweaks have made it better than its previous installments (even if only slightly). If you're a Dragon Ball fan then you owe it to yourself to experience the BT franchise and this might as well be the one you start with. Newcomers may be lost somewhat and with other prominent fighters on the market the title does lose some of its impact. However, if you're looking for a violent anime fix then there's no better alternative.