If you are a DBZ fan, this is a dream come true. The game does just about everything right. Go and buy this now (you probably would even if I told you that the only difference between this and a bag of manure was the bag). If you aren’t a DBZ fan, you might be turned off by the simplistic gameplay.
Dramatic, hilarious and impenetrable by turn, it's a cold heart that won't be warmed by this one, but hardcore fight fans may find themselves irritated.
Dragon Ball Z - Budokai is a good game 20 (or 21 if you consider the PS2 version release date) years later? The answer is... kinda. The game has some problems, such as the main story being short and graphics being, while they certainly have their charm, compared to other DBZ games even on PS2, not great. We can see that this game didn't aged well on that. But here's the thing: Graphics don't make a game. And that's why I gave a 8/10. The gameplay is simple, but actually pretty fun, the game faithfully recreates the anime scenes with incredible detail considering this was also the first Dragon Ball game for the PS2, and the english dub is surprisingly solid, and the actors are actually the same ones from the show (from what I know, though). But here's the problems: People say that, to unlock all the capsules, it takes a lot of time and people criticizes that, but since I just played the story mode... I can't say anything about that. What I can say something about though, is the length of the adventure. It takes about 2-3 hours to beat at the first time, and while there is extra content, I think the story should be a bit longer, it should have the Majin Boo saga, which this game (weirdly enough) doesn't has. The short length is also a good thing though, since people who don't have a lot of free time can beat this in one seat. Overall, while definitely not being the best Dragon Ball game for the PS2, it is definitely a fun one, and I genuinely recommend it to DBZ fans.
If you can get past the pastel coloured craziness of it all, then Dragon Ball Z: Budokai provides a decent enough challenge – just don’t be expecting another Tekken 4 and this should find favour.
It flirts awfully close with being a mindless button-masher, but Budokai embraces its “Dragon Ball Z” license with a passion and eye for little details that’ll surely make hardcore fans of the series flip from joy.
The rather simple fighting system in DBZ Budokai is really the key factor that's going to keep it from appealing to many people outside of the DBZ fan base.
In recreating the action of the cartoon show, the developers have gone the easy route, implementing automatic special attacks rather than an effective combination system. [Jan 2003, p.42]
There's way too many Dragon Ball Z fighting games that have the exact same story and this one is no exception, but in terms of gameplay, this is a really good one. I also like the graphics and art style more in this one than the sequels. It looks a bit weird, but it's still better than Cel-Shading. Anyway, I like this game.
The story linearity is short for gamers that plays a lot in a day, for DBZ fans , consider this a punch in the face. Three important modes that will likely be in use often, the first one is the main story ( before mentioned ) , the other is the Duel one where you actually pit two players one on one and finally the best varied option is the tournament where it was used countless of times in previous DBZ games but hopefully Budokai's tournament style is the best option for those interested . Graphically Budokai is fine enough ( though this was the first and the last DBZ game to include those daunting graphics) , playability side is easy to pick in the first try . Consider this the superior DBZ fighting game, although is short on content.
ok game that is still worth playing if You are Dragon Ball fun, Amazing how will the graphics hold ,best part of the game is the side stories crazy things happen
Let's get this out of the way right now: I'm not really much of a fan of the "Dragon Ball" franchise. Not that I dislike the series, it was just never my cup of tea. As a kid, I was part of the "Pokémon," "Digimon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh" boats, but I never found a huge interest in "Dragon Ball Z," or "DBZ," as some call it. That said, I fully believe that a fighting game based around the "Dragon Ball" franchise is a match made in **** least on paper, because while "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai" has the right idea, it just doesn't execute it well.
Off the bat, the game really captures the feel of the show pretty well (basing this off of what little I've seen, along with word-of-mouth from friends who watched the show). It really feels like I can watch these cutscenes and understand the plot of the show. I also appreciate how the game actually follows the different "sagas" of the shows, which makes it feel like it could be enjoyable even for people like me that have no experience with the franchise.
Unfortunately, that's about where the positives end. Though it captures the feel of the show, it certainly isn't visually brilliant, and it's extremely easy (and rather fun) to just make jokes about the cutscenes being weirdly animated and poorly-acted. You'll also find yourself making jokes about the story and the dialogue, and worst of all, the gameplay is extremely frustrating. "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai" has all the potential in the world to be a really technical, exciting, competitive fighting game, but unfortunately, the game is weighed down by some really poor controls that fall somewhere between "bulky" and "unresponsive."
It's clear that this game hasn't aged wonderfully and, unless you're a huge fan of the show or you really need a good laugh, you'd be a smarter person if you invested your time and money into a more interesting fighter. "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai" had some great ideas going for it, but unfortunately, it's a disappointing fighting game.
Final rating: 4 out of 10 "Bad"
SummaryEnter the Dragon Ball Z Budokai. A spectacular 3D world filled with the fiercest fighters the universe has ever known. Test your skills against the most powerful Dragon Ball Z heroes and the most sinister villains. Every battle is more intense, more dangerous, and more epic than the one before. Will you be the last warrior standing? [Inf...