One of the Best DBZ games, but not without its faults.

User Rating: 9 | Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 PS2
By Skip04 | Review Date:
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the best DBZ game to date. However it is not without its flaws. DBZ: BT2 features 9 game modes and 16 huge arenas. With over 100 characters to unlock and play as DBZ: BT2 has the largest amount of characters for a fighting game. All characters from the previous game return along with some much awaited and anticipated new characters. Tag team fights (up to 5 vs. 5 – once one character has been defeated, the next one takes over) along with in-game transformations (FINALY!!) make for hours of fun. The characters themselves look stunning (with the huge exception of their square hands), clothes, hair, everything moves as it would in real life. Dragon Adventure mode (Goku) covers all of DBZ, DBGT and 10 of the 13 DBZ movies. However, while it is fun to play through, building up your characters, finding items and unlocking more characters, the story is poorly told in some parts and can leave the player utterly confused if they're not familiar with the DB Universe. It can also get very repetitive, sometimes feel unappealing and unfinished. The problem with including movie villains is that you also need to include a few of their henchmen otherwise the story that you're playing through is comprised of just a few fights (as is the problem). That said though, it is still very enjoyable flying around Earth and Namek (ala Budokai 3), collecting skills, money, even Dragon Balls and levelling up your characters. As in the series, once you have all 7 balls, you may summon the dragon to grant you a wish or three (deepening if you're on Earth or Namek).
Ultimate Battle Z (Korin) uses a system where you select a type of battle and work your way up a pillar. Every pillar is different with its own theme and condition. Once you beat a pillar you earn a score, items and more pillars.
Duelling mode (SS Trunks Sword) is one of the best, with the standard P1 vs. Com, P1 vs. P2, Com vs. Com. However in each of these you are able to select a Single Battle (1 Vs. 1), a Tag Battle (2 vs. 2) or Free Battle (5 vs. 5). You may also customise your duels by changing the allocated time, the different referee voices, and changing the Transformations on or off.
The Training mode (Vegeta and Bulma) can seem like a lot to sit through but it's necessary in order to fully enjoy the game. Practice mode is like a ever-ending Single battle – you can punch, kick, blast and slice 'till your hearts content, neither of you will die.
There is (as always) a shop (Baba), and options menu (camera, sound, change to original Japanese voices etc. (Chi-Chi)) along with a Data Centre (manage your 'custom' characters (Bulma)) and an Item Fusion menu (King Kai). Item Fusion can be confusing. It's the only way to unlock most characters and items. You need the two required items as well as Z Item-Fusion items. King Kai telling you that "you lack the item fusion numbers" doesn't help at all. There is also an Encyclopaedia (Videl) of characters.
As said in-game transformations have returned (THANK GOD!!!) and fusions can also be performed, but only if you are partnered with the correct character. Every character's signature move is included (Kamehameha, Final Flash, Destcucto Disc, Tri Beam, Death Ball etc.) however some characters have the exact same attacks – just under different names, like Android 17 and SS Gohan Teen. It is very annoying to see the same attack again and again.
Another, very small, problem is the character clothing. Most characters have 'pallete-swaps' and not alternate clothing. Goku has a total of 6 different outfits, however they are all based on his orange gi and while I like all of them, they could have included at least two more (his Yardrat outfit and the blue gi (his "GT outfit")). Some alternate clothing options are quite good and logical (eg. Krillin – his normal "Kame" gi, his Saiyan Armour and from the Buu Saga, and Master Roshi – normal and as Jackie Chun). It's also annoying that when you are choosing the outfits, you can't see them! So unless you've played the game several times before, you don't know what you're choosing!
Despite the huge amount of characters to play as there are still obvious characters that are missing. You can not advertise a game as going through the complete DBZ – DBGT stories if there are characters missing. Just a few examples are GT Kid Goku, Demon King Piccolo (if your going to include General Tao at least include DK Piccolo!) and The Shadow dragons (at least Nuova and Eis Shenron). Also transformations from previous "Budokai" games would be welcome as well, such as Krillin and Gohan Kid 's "Unlock Potential" and Piccolo's "Sync with Nail" and "Fusion with Kami". HOWEVER despite the fact that I have just spent two to three paragraphs complaining, I still think that this is the best Dragon Ball Z game to date and I can't wait to see the third instalment (fingers crossed)! Oh and, I felt that I should mention that I don't appreciate the fact that the Wii version gets an extra fighting arena and SIX more characters!

Thank you.

Other Helpful Reviews for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2

Load Comments (0)