by Sirfalcon
It’s no surprise that Namco Bandai is still releasing Dragon Ball Z games, nearly a decade after the series has ended. But this time a different approach towards the series is taken. Namco Bandai decides to focus on the original series by taking it back to its original roots. No, it’s not another fighting game but yet it’s a beat-em-up, which takes you through the Dragon Ball universe. All your favorite characters return, which should please any fan of the series.
Graphics. Many of the game’s cut scenes are shown through gorgeous cel-shading while the game itself is through a simple 3D engine that is nothing to boast about. Most of the level design is pretty basic and doesn’t divert your attention away from the action. In fact the colors you could say are bland and don’t have much thought into them. A lot of it makes me wonder if they just stole ideas from past Sonic games.
Control. So it’s a beat-em-up, so how much control do you need? You’ll spend most of your time mashing the same button. Dragon Ball is no exception tapping that A button from start to finish. While the B button jumps which is never really used except for the simple platforming elements. The C button blocks and apparently dodges when the control stick is pressed in conjunction with C button. Oh yea and that button conveniently located below the C button is your best friend. The Z button is the do all, end all. It locks on to enemies that allows you to dash towards them for devastating attack combos. And of course it wouldn’t be considered a Dragon Ball game without supers, that’s what the d-pad is for. Kamehameha!
Sound. So if you’re a fan of the series many of the voices and sound effects will be familiar. Characters who were annoying still are and most of Goku’s antics are still present. The sound effects all are on par with the original TV show, which envelopes you in the Dragon Ball universe. It’s too bad the background stage music is such a bore that sometimes you will find yourself being zoned out.
Gameplay. To be fair Dragon Ball is a beat-em-up and there isn’t much variety in these genres. But with today’s standards character enhancements are a necessity. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball doesn’t merit any upgrades besides the few health upgrades that are bought out side of the single player adventure in the shop. Besides mashing the same button and tapping the Z button to dash attack your foes, most of it is “rinse, wash and repeat” tactics. Even bosses fall victim to simple strategies, then again the game was designed for younger audiences. In my opinion more attacks should’ve been added like charge attacks and some aerial ones as well, even another special would have been handy.
Some beat-em-ups come with the ability to play co-op with a friend but Dragon Ball only supports Arena mode. Arena mode has about a dozen characters, which are unlocked through the single player adventure by collecting treasures. The Arena doesn’t do much justice because nothing is unlocked and it uses the same simple engine as the single player experience. Think of it as just blocking and trading blows. Not much fun to be had there.
The game spans a total of 8 full worlds with about 3 or 4 sublevels for each world. Levels usually consist of walkthroughs by clearing enemies from the playing field. Others result in simple mini games that end quickly followed by one of the games many dialog cutscenes. In fact most of your time will be spent watching dialog scenes but that’s Dragon Ball for you.
Overall. Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo does a great job of retelling the series and does a decent job as a beat-em-up. The game lasts about 7 hours or about 10 if you fall asleep during some of the games stages. But it’s definitely nice to see a Dragon Ball game not focused on the Z series. With a few enhancements notably in the multiplayer department, there may be chance for a great sequel. But until then a decent attempt was made at a decade old series.
