GENRE
	Fighting
	DEVELOPER
	Spike
	PUBLISHER
	Atari
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Ready to fight? Son Goku and his friends, enemies and rivals all make appearances in Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3, complete with motion-based controls and special moves. While the game may be multi-platform, only the Wii version features online play. How does this latest re-visitation of the classic TV series measure up?

visuals

Cel-shading is still in vogue, and it's never been more appropriate than when it's used to display characters from Akira Toriyama's singular style. Attacks are animated at a blistering pace, reminiscent of the show's distinctive motion-blurred fist poundings. Rather than an invisible barrier, the boundaries of each stage are clearly shown by a translucent shimmer, which actually helps avoid getting stuck between an offensive opponent and an immovable barrier. The camera automatically focuses on a fighter when a powerful special attack is used, but these animations are short and to the point, almost contrary to the fifteen minutes of powering up required in the actual program. About the only weak point is the lack of 480p and wide screen support, which won't matter for gamers playing on regular televisions.

audio

Players can select from either default English voice acting or Japanese, whichever suits their preference. Even menus are voiced, which can get slightly annoying when you've read and heard the same text dozens of times; but lines can be skipped when desired in menus and in story sequences. Pumping bass and screeching guitar riffs dominate the background of each stage, reminiscent of the American version of the show.

gameplay

The 3D fighting game at the core of Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is solid. Players can use their choice of the GCN controller, Classic controller or the Wii remote-nunchuk combo, which features motion-sensitive play. Despite Nintendo's focus on simpler gameplay in console games, this fighter is anything but. Players will have to spend some hard training time with one or two key characters (probably Goku, Gohan or Vegeta) before getting the hang of the system, which involves direct attack, ranged energy blasts, throws, blocking, dashing, and, of course, charging up energy, all on a three-dimensional plane where most characters can fly. There's more than a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately, there's an extensive in-game training mode included that details the specifics for each control method.

Once the battle system is understood, it's easy to see that the Dragon Ball Z experience really has been translated fairly well to video game form. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as finishing a twelve-hit combo, sending an enemy flying with a kick, appearing right next to him in mid-air, knocking him sideways, catching up with him again and sending him crashing into a huge mesa, and then following up with a super-charged Kamehameha all in a matter of fifteen seconds. Some motion controls make more sense than others. Performing a super attack often requires a motion similar to what the character will actually make (quite satisfying), while others, such as shaking the nunchuk to dash toward an opponent, are more arbitrary but, thankfully, easy to pull off. The challenge is remembering the order of commands and when to do what, which would also be true when using just the buttons.

Each of the game modes is based upon the fighting engine in different ways. Players can simply take part in a Budokai tournament at different difficulty levels or a single fight. Dragon History mode lets players go through the regular Dragon Ball Z saga fight by fight, sometimes casting the player as the villain instead of the hero (such as fighting as Freeza against Krillin, Gohan and Piccolo in succession), and also offers some off-kilter fights that aren't related to the main story. Ultimate Battle simulates training a character between fights, and some strategy is required to make sure your fighter doesn't show up for the battle completely exhausted. Characters can also be customized by using points from playing the various game modes, giving them strengths they might not otherwise have had. These characters can then be used in some of the online play modes.

multiplayer

In addition to local multiplayer, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is also the first in the series to go online via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players can either pit the custom-made characters against one another, stick with the standard level characters, or fight against friends who have registered Friend Codes for one another. Characters have different strength levels, so fighters who want to win will often go with the strongest fighters, which leaves a lot of the lower-tier characters neglected in competition play. It's too bad you can't use your customized character, because a customized Yamcha might have a chance against stronger characters if he's been beefed up enough. Online play is a great addition, but it's generally plagued by moderate to severe lag, depending on the strength of connection, which is a huge problem in a fighter, where timing is everything. Motion-based controls will often be impossible to pull off if lag is too severe, leaving a fighter standing vulnerable while the opponent can move in.

overall

Despite a couple of problems, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is definitely a must for Dragon Ball fans and 3D fighting enthusiasts. One of the most full-featured fighting games on Nintendo's console (at least since Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2), it features over 150 characters, including some most players have probably never even heard of, with biographies for each. Despite the persistent lag, online play is still a blast and a welcome addition, and the Wii motion controls add a whole new dimension of fun for those who've played earlier games on other consoles. All in all, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is probably the best original fighting game currently on the system, at least until March 9th.

8.6/10